UnThinkable
by vikinglover elle
Summary: Will Sookie do the unthinkable and start a relationship with her best friend's boyfriend, Eric? She did meet him first, afterall. There's sweets, trips to Sweden and a hunky stranger on a plane. AH/AU/OOC
1. Chapter 1 This Cannot Be Pam's Boyfriend

**A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. The are the property and creation of the wonderful Charlaine Harris. **

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I hadn't seen my best friend Pam in over a year. She'd decided after we went on vacation to Sweden our senior year of college, that she wanted to move there–permanently. I would miss my best friend but I didn't have a problem with her moving because I would now have a cool place to visit. We had such a great time in Sweden that I couldn't wait to go back. The more I thought about it, the more excited I got and planned to visit Pam her first month there. Except that I wasn't able to visit like I wanted and we kind of lost touch for a few months.

I had gotten so busy at my job that I didn't have time to talk to my Gran, much less anyone else. Gran and I lived together and I hardly got to see her. We would have dinner together every night but other than that, we had a '_hi_ _and_ _bye'_ relationship. I felt bad about it but my career was important and the one thing I could call my own. Gran understood that and didn't hold it against me.

The reason Gran doesn't hold it against me is that I've taken over for her at our family bakery. _Adele's Sweet Shop_ has been in our family since I can remember. Gran's actually the person that got me into baking. She'd let me help her in the kitchen at home when I was four, then when I was old enough she took me to the bakery with her. I loved sitting on the countertop mixing ingredients to make cookies or pies. She was always so patient when teaching me something new. She thought I was a natural and worked with me to harness my talent.

So, every day I open the shop at six and close at five. Good thing I'm a morning person otherwise I'd never be able to get out of bed at the butt crack of dawn to bake for anyone. I do have some regulars at the shop considering the small town we live in, but for the most part we get people from as far as Monroe. I love going into work every day but didn't realize how much work Gran put into running the bakery on a daily basis.

Baking is stressful. Well, only when there's a rush order put through for one of our biggest clients like the Bellefleurs. I may loathe Portia Bellefleur but her grandmother Caroline orders a fresh pie from us every day. She also orders a plethora of breakfast confections for her weekly bridge club–Danish, croissants, scones, turnovers. The woman has very particular tastes and can piss me off to no end when she gets a bug up her butt. But she's a regular customer and that's what I need to stay in business.

When I wasn't baking I was in bed. I was so wiped out that after I ate dinner at six I went straight to bed. Except, I didn't sleep much. My mind was always filled with new recipe ideas. I have some of Gran's old recipes memorized but I try to come up with something new at least every two weeks. Talk about not having a life. My old high school friend, Tara, would call me up every Saturday night looking to drag me out to Merlotte's. I just couldn't do it. I always plan to spend my Saturday's in bed, sleeping. You never realize how much of a luxury sleep is until you've deprived yourself of it for days at a time.

This vacation was well needed and long overdue. I could not wait to get on that plane to Stockholm. I booked my flight just after talking to Pam and told Gran of my plans. She would have pushed me out the door right then if I hadn't been across the room from her. She knew how hard I worked and thought it was time I took a break. It wasn't my fault people loved my sweets. Heck, who _doesn't_ love a fresh baked apple pie?

Gran assured me she could handle the bakery for the week I would be gone. If nothing else, she'd get Mrs. Fortenberry to help her out. That old woman loved to bake. I never thought she was any good at it but Gran was too kind to turn her away if she wanted to help. She'd just go behind her back and fix whatever it was she ruined, which usually turned out to be anything she touched.

I'd gotten up extra early the day of my flight. I wanted to get to Stockholm before the sun went down. I wasn't sure how I'd be able to do that considering the six-hour time difference (they were ahead) and the long ass flight. I managed to make it to the airport on time and kissed Gran goodbye. She insisted on seeing me off. I told her I would call her when I arrived, although it may be late. I boarded the plane and sank into my seat, prepared to get some shut-eye. Boy was I wrong.

There was no way I could sleep once I saw the guy that was sitting across from me. He was tall, dark and handsome. He had the most exuberant green eyes I'd ever seen on a person. His dark hair was tousled wildly as if he couldn't keep his hands out of it. I know I licked my lips when I looked at him, but if he noticed he didn't make it known. I smiled when he glanced up at me and sighed when he looked away. Damn it, I needed to get laid. Here I am checking out a hot guy on a plane and all I can think of is joining the mile-high club.

I settled back into my seat again, pulled my notebook from my purse and began to doodle. I was determined to come up with a new recipe to try when I got back and hadn't had any thoughts until looking at the guy sitting across the way. _Dark chocolate, whipped cream, banana, walnuts_. I started listing ingredients before thinking of combining them into a cake–a tall, dark, banana nut cake. Mmm…I could feel my mouth watering just thinking about it. I must have moaned out loud as the stranger cleared his throat. I opened my eyes and looked over at him.

"You must be writing something very delicious over there to have you moaning and licking your lips. Can I ask what it is?"

"Sure, I was just coming up with a new cake recipe."

"Oh. I love cake. I'm Alcide by the way."

"Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse. It's nice to meet you, Alcide."

"Not as nice as it is to meet you, Sookie." He licked his lips that time. My, what beautiful lips they were. Pink, full, hiding a set of gleaming white teeth. Unh!

We spent the rest of the flight to New York talking about what he does (writer) where he's headed (home to New York) and what he was doing in Louisiana (visiting family). There was no mention of a girlfriend and I have to say the smile on my face was a permanent one. I couldn't help it. He was like a breath of fresh air compared to the guys I was used to dealing with day in and day out. He was charming, sophisticated and sexy as hell. We parted ways at the airport but not before he gave me his card and asked me to contact him when I got back from vacation. I could not wait for this week to be over.

Seeing Pam again was like we'd never been apart. We hugged and chatted as if we'd been together the past year. She stood out very little amongst the other tall, gorgeous, blondes walking around the airport. What I wasn't expecting was the surprise Pam had brought with her. She had a new boyfriend and she thought that he could be _the one_. We always interviewed our prospective "soul mates" for one another. It became a sort of ritual with us, so I wasn't surprised she wanted me to meet him to see what I thought. I was so caught off guard by her news that I forgot to mention meeting Alcide on the plane. She would tell me I should have "hit that" and to give him a booty call when I get back to the States.

I didn't want to interrupt her enthusiasm so I let her prattle on about her guy. She'd sent him off to get my luggage so I hadn't glimpsed him yet. We walked out to her car in the underground garage. She managed to send him a text in between sentences, telling him where we'd be so he could find us. We'd been there about five minutes before he walked over to the car. As soon as I saw him I think my heart stopped. He was the most beautiful man I'd ever laid eyes on.

He had to be at least 6'4" tall, with shoulder length blonde hair, (almost the same shade as mine I'd noticed) with the deepest shade of blue for eyes that I'd ever seen. He looked as if he had sapphires in place of his irises. They were breathtaking. His hair cascaded over his shoulders as he placed my bag in the trunk of the car before standing up to his full height. The day old stubble on his dimpled chin was just delectable. I caught myself thinking about running my tongue up and down that dimple while sucking on his chin. But this couldn't be Pam's boyfriend, could it?

The sound of the trunk lid slamming into place made me jump and brought me out of my blatantly opened mouth gape, which was just plain embarrassing. Pam smiled over at me shaking her head. She's such a bitch.

I knew that I'd already met him during our Swedish vacation. We'd had a one-night stand which turned into a few days–a few mind-blowing, earth shattering, left me walking funny–days. Pam was off on some of her typical exploits so she hadn't noticed my absence every night during that week. To be honest, she probably never returned to our hotel until the day we left to return home.

"Sookie, this is Eric. Eric, this is my best friend Sookie." Wow, was all I could think. I stood gaping for another minute before Pam nudged me and I offered my hand for him to shake.

"N-nice to meet you. Eric?" When I'd met him it was Leif.

"Nice to meet you too, Sookie." So, we're playing that game are we?

This was going to be a fun week.

The drive to Pam's house was interesting, to say the least. She talked non-stop while Eric drove. I sat in the back seat smiling, nodding and adding my two cents when necessary. There was so much to catch up on and Pam apparently wanted to make sure I knew everything there was to know about the last year in the half hour it took us to drive to her place. Or was it their place? She hadn't said they lived together. If they did, things would be really awkward. There's no way I could sleep under the same roof with Eric.

He would sneak a glance back at me in the rearview mirror every so often. That shit was making me nervous. His dark blue orbs were glowing under the overhead lights that shone into the car. I tried not to look up at his reflection but something drew me to his gaze. He would look at me for a few seconds before watching the road again. I wanted to hide my face in my palm but Pam would notice something was up.

"And we'll have to go shopping while you're here because it's obvious you didn't take into account the weather would be cooler here. I'm sure you don't have a jacket or a coat do you?"

"No, I uh."

"It's okay, we'll go out first thing tomorrow morning. For now we'll get you settled in so you can get a little beauty rest before I take you out on the town. You know this will not be a relaxing vacation. I haven't seen you in so long that we have to spend every waking second together. As a matter of fact we should have a slumber party."

"Pam, we're not teenagers for crying out loud. What, are we going to do each other's hair and gossip?"

"Exactly. Maybe I'll do your nails too because they look horrid Sookie. What have you been doing with yourself in Bon Temps?"

"Working for a living. We're not all privileged like you _Pamela_." She hated when I called her Pamela. I only did it to annoy her. She usually left me alone after that.

"Fuck you, Stackhouse. It's not my fault my father is rich."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't trade places with anyone else now would you? You snobby bitch!" She laughed.

"Just be glad I've lowered my standards when accepting you as a friend. You know how it would look for me to be seen with common folk such as yourself."

"Ouch! You've wounded my pride. Now I'll be depressed the rest of my stay. Seriously, I'm sorry I've been so busy. You know I would have come sooner if I could, right?"

"Yes my love, I know. Don't worry about it. You're here now and you can make it up to me."

We pulled up to her flat and Eric went to the rear of the car to retrieve my bag. Pam ran to the front door being greeted by her doorman and led the way to the elevator. We didn't have to wait long as the doors opened as soon as I approached. Eric being as tall as he is took three steps to catch up to Pam. I had to jog to keep up. We filed into the elevator, Pam and I on either side of Eric. His fingers grazed mine as he moved to allow us to exit the elevator. I felt a jolt pass through us and dropped my head to hide my shame. I cannot have feelings for some guy I had a fling with over a year ago. But I think I did.

Pam is going to kill me.

We enter the flat and Eric hands me my bag. I try to keep our fingers from touching again and manage to clumsily drop the bag onto my foot.

"Ow! Way to go Stackhouse." I chided myself.

"Are you all right Sookie?" Eric looked concerned.

"I'm fine just klutzy is all. Uh, Pam, where am I sleeping?"

"Right this way." She led me back to a bedroom that was bigger than my little hole I called a room at Gran's.

"Wow, this place is beautiful Pammy. How long have you been here?"

"Oh, um, just a little over six months. I just talked Eric into moving in with me. He didn't want to but I always get my way."

Eric appeared out of the blue as if he'd heard his name being called. He stood in the doorway watching me for a second before he got Pam's attention.

"Pam, your phone. It's your father."

"Oh, thanks. Sookie I have to take this, I'll be right back."

I wanted to beg her, no, plead with her to not leave me alone but she was gone in a flash. I was left in a bedroom with Eric staring down at me like a ravenous vampire. I had to think fast so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"So, Leif?"

"It's my middle name."

"Right?"

"No, it is. I'm Eric L. Northman. You can check my license if you don't believe me." He pulled it out to show to me. _Eric L. Northman_. Damn!

"Why isn't your accent as pronounced? When I met you, you sounded more…"

"Swedish? I lay the accent on a little thick when I meet American girls. They seem to like it. Gives them a more authentic experience." I was getting pissed.

"Oh, so you typically have flings with American girls who are on vacation?"

"No, not flings. Not usually. You and I, it wasn't a fling for me." I shivered as his breath ghosted across my skin. He leaned in closer to my ear and I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Well, that's um. Yeah. How did you meet Pam?"I had to change the subject. Just thinking about what he said made me ache for him. Yes, I still remembered how he felt moving in me, hovering over me, giving me pleasure. If I remembered, I'm sure he did too.

"When she first moved here, we bumped into one another and just hit it off. She kind of reminded me of you–blonde hair, blue eyes, beautiful. I still think about you, you know."

"Eric, you can't say things like that to me. You're with Pam and she's my best friend."I backed away needing to put space between us. His scent was intoxicating and making me crazy.

"I know that but I still want you. The way you left, Sookie, I didn't want it to end." Pam came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"So what are you two talking about?"

"Um, just the scenery. I love your place Pam. I can't wait to come back and visit again." That was lame. She'll know I'm covering. Shit.

"Unh, huh. You could have come to visit anytime you wanted Sook, you know that."

"Yeah well…"

"If you ladies would excuse me, I think I'll leave you two to catch up. Pam, I'll see you later." He leaned in to kiss her. She offered him her cheek. I wondered where he was going since he lived here now.

"Bye," we said in unison.

"So, Miss Stackhouse, you care to tell me what I really walked in on?"

Shit. Damn. Motherfucker!

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A/N: Thanks to my lovely, wonderful beta **hearttorn** who convinced me to post this now instead of later. Let me know what you think. Review!


	2. Chapter 2 Day 1

"So, out with it Stackhouse."

"Out with what? I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know I can tell when you're lying because you suck at it. So out with it."

I can't tell her. She'll want to kill me, I just know it. What do I do? Tell my best friend I had sex with her boyfriend when they hadn't known each other and that seeing him again makes my body ache for him? I need to make it back to Bon Temps in one piece so I have to think fast.

"If I tell you, it'll ruin the surprise."

"Surprise? For me?"

"Yes, princess. Who do you think?"

"Was this your idea or Eric's?"

"My idea." _Thank you God! And please forgive me for lying. Amen._

"Figures. He doesn't do anything on the fly. There's always a rhyme or reason for why he does anything." That just makes things worse. I wish she wouldn't have told me that.

"Yeah, so, get out so I can get ready for bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night."

She finally walks away leaving me in peace. I fall to the bed and sobs rip from my chest. I can't breathe and feel like a total piece of shit. I should go home. I need to get out of here, at least. I can always get a room somewhere and pray I don't run into Pam when I go out. Or, I'll just stay in my room and fake sick. I can do that. There is no way I can face Eric or Leif, or whatever he wants to be called, knowing that he still thinks about me after a year. He's had to have seen pictures of me around here by now, so he knew Pam and I were friends. I don't know what to believe.

I need someone to talk to. I think about calling Gran since I need to let her know I'm here anyway. I hate to put this on her but I need advice and I can trust her to give me a dose of the good stuff. She never tells me what I _want_ to hear but what I _need_ to hear. It's with shaking hands that I dial the familiar number to my family home. The phone rings a few times before she answers.

"Hello." Her voice is barely above a whisper.

"Hey Gran, its Sookie. I wanted to let you know I'm here. In Sweden. I made it safely. The flight was good. Pam says hi." I start rambling. I don't know how to broach the subject so I figure to just spill. "Gran, I need to ask you something. But it's bad, really bad."

"Oh God! Sookie, honey, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine Gran, it's just Pam's boyfriend. I um, well, I knew him from a year ago. We had a little fling and seeing him again has brought some old feelings to the surface. He's told me that he still thinks about me. Hearing him say that just…"

"Now Sookie Stackhouse you listen to me and you listen good, don't even think about doing anything with that man."

"Gran I'm not–"

"Don't tell me what you're not going to do. I know you better than you know yourself and just from the sound of your voice I can hear what you're thinking. You love Pam like a sister and you'd kill her or she'd kill you, literally–knowing how crazy she is. You can't entertain any thoughts about him or what you two used to have. You have to think about what's best for you, I know that, and in this instance getting involved with your best friend's boyfriend is not best for anyone. You'll get over it. Now I know I raised you to be a perfect lady and I expect no less than ladylike behavior from you." Shit. Talk about harsh.

I clear my throat but can't speak. The tears are rolling down my face so quickly that I can't catch them all in time. Gran is right, I know, but I don't want her to be. She hears my sobs through the phone and shushes me. She starts singing my favorite lullaby from my childhood to calm me down. I know it's an odd thing for her to do, but it works. Once I've cried myself out, I wipe away the trail of tears left on my cheeks.

"Thanks Gran. I know you're right and I won't let you down. I promise you."

"That's good dear. Now you call me if you need to. No matter what the time. I'm always here and you know that I love you more than anything."

"As I love you. Bye, Gran."

The next morning I climb out of bed much too nervous to do anything. I don't know if Eric's here or not. I remember Gran's words as I get dressed for the day and vow to keep my promise to her. It will be difficult, but I can do it. I tiptoe out of my room because I haven't heard any sounds indicating Pam is up. I walk into the kitchen looking for coffee and decide that I should have stayed in bed. Eric is standing at the stove shirtless, wearing blue sleep pants (the same damned blue as his eyes) making breakfast. I forgot he could cook.

"Morning." I haven't forgotten my manners, just my self-control.

"Good morning Sookie. Did you sleep well?" He smirks. He's pure evil.

"I did, thank you for asking. Is there enough coffee for me too?"

"Of course. I'll pour you a cup." He pulls down a mug from the cabinet overhead and fills it for me. He turns to hand it to me and I stand looking dumbfounded until he places it on the island in the center of the room. I reach for it once he leans back against the counter opposite the island. We stand there glaring at each other for what seems like forever.

"Can I ask what's for breakfast?"

"Yes, you can ask." Smart ass…

"O-kay then. Look, Eric, I don't want things to be difficult between us. So, can we be cordial toward each other? Please?"

"Of course, Sookie. I don't want to give you a hard time."He actually sounds sincere.

"Good. Thank you. Listen, last night I told Pam that we had some sort of surprise planned for her."

"I know. She told me all about it. So, what exactly did you have in mind?"

"I don't know because I made it up on the spot. I couldn't possibly tell her what you'd said to me now could I?"

"Why not? You'd save me the trouble of having to break the news to her."

"You wouldn't, you couldn't possibly be that cruel."

"Me, cruel? I take it you've forgotten how you left me last year. Sneaking away in the middle of the night never to be seen again. I thought we had something and you crushed me." He leans forward over the island to get closer to me. He lowers his voice so much I have to strain to hear him.

"So is this payback?"I whisper back.

"No, you're not that important to me."

"That's not _quite_ the impression I get, but if you say so."

"If I'd known you were the friend Pam went on and on about I wouldn't be here." What was that supposed to mean?

I hadn't gotten a chance to ask him as Pam chose that moment to drag herself out of her bedroom. She has crazy bed hair and looks like the walking dead. She never could function early in the morning.

"Hey you two. You know, if I keep catching you like this I'm going to start thinking something is going on."

Eric laughs while I down the rest of my coffee before placing my mug in the sink. I make sure not to get any closer to Eric than necessary but he manages to brush my hand with his, sending chills down my spine. I seriously think about going home. I scurry off to my room and bury myself under the covers.

Pam comes into my room a few minutes later.

"What's wrong with you? You've been acting weird since I picked you up yesterday."

"Got a lot on my mind. Met this guy on the plane to New York. I've been thinking about calling him but I'm not sure if I should."

"Ooh, gossip. Dish." I tell her all about meeting Alcide and she eats it right up. I actually feel better after talking to her about it. He just may be what I need to knock Eric out of my system.

"Um, Pam. I need to ask you something. I know I have no right to as I'm the guest here but would it be too much trouble to ask your boyfriend to put a shirt on? You know, just while I'm here?"

"Why Sookie? If I didn't know you better I'd think you were a prude. He's fucking hot isn't he?" _Did she want me to answer that?_

"Pam!"

"I get it. You're uncomfortable and I don't want you to be. I want you to treat my home like your home. What's that saying in Spanish?"

"_Mi casa es su casa_."

"Right. That. I'll ask him. I can't say he'll do it because he Swedish. Swedes like to be naked. I'll see what I can do."She laughs her _evil laugh_ as if she can't help herself.

"If not I can always stay at a hotel or something."

"Don't even think of it. I'll take care of it. So, what do you want to do today?"

"I don't know. I'd love to get some sleep but we could–"

"Shop. We'll go shopping. You need stuff. Let me get dressed and we'll go." That's Pam.

She flew from the room before I could respond. She does always get what she wants. _Spoiled brat_. I fall back onto the bed, feeling defeated. I have to get my confidence back. I know I can handle this and it'll be fine. I have six more days to go and then I'm home free. Six long, excruciating days…

Pam is ready in no time and she's dragging me all over Stockholm for odds and ends she _insists_ I need. It's not that cold here to me but she says the nights are not like anything I've ever experienced. I guess she has a point since the last time I was here, it was summer. I've bought a new coat, a hat and scarf, and an outrageous party dress Pam said I had to get. Of course, she has some outing planned that I'll absolutely hate, but I'll go. For her.

We take a short break for lunch at a small restaurant Eric recommends. I am starving since I skipped breakfast and cannot wait to eat. We sit down to a table and Eric sits directly across from me. Of course, he would. He's taking pleasure in my suffering because he knows (I'm not sure how but he knows) I'm having a hard time seeing him again.

"So Pam wants me to cut my hair. What do you think Sookie?"

"Ugh, um…" was my intelligent reply. I couldn't tell him that I wanted him to keep it long since all I thought about for the past few hours was running my fingers through it. Or that I could remember gripping his hair tightly as he made love to me that last night we were together. I could hear his low moans in my ear, feel the warmth of his skin against mine, the strands of his hair brushing against my collarbone as our bodies moved in sync. No, I couldn't say any of those things so I just spat out gibberish.

"It's okay Sookie you don't have to answer. He'll cut it because I want him to. Isn't that right Eric?" The look on Eric's face told me he didn't like that response from Pam but he didn't say anything.

"You know I should uh, call Gran and let her know that I'm here. I'll just pop outside and I'll be right back." I couldn't get away from the table fast enough.

I'd already called Gran when I broke down last night but I had to say something to get away from Eric's gaze. I seriously thought he was trying to hypnotize me the way he was staring at me. After talking with Gran, I realized I need to stay out of trouble. I feel like Eric is dragging me into something I want no part of. I am _so_ not going to survive this week. My hands are shaking so much that I couldn't dial a number if I wanted to. I need a drink. I need to calm down. Then I start thinking about Eric again and I feel my face warm as my blush spreads across my cheeks.

We get back to Pam's place and I figure out what to do for her surprise. I decide to make dinner for us since Pam is such a gracious host. At least that's what I tell her. It ruins the surprise but she's off my back. Eric just nods and goes along with my plan. I need to get groceries to prepare this meal and hadn't quite figured out how to do that alone. I know Pam doesn't want to go grocery shopping and Eric would be more than willing to accompany me. I figure I can go alone and try not to get lost.

What happens is not what I had planned at all. Pam _forces_ Eric to go with me. He didn't put up much of a fight. _Go figure_. I protest like crazy but she isn't hearing it. She has something to do and can't possibly come with me. I call bullshit but she overrules me.

So here I am, in the car with Eric heading to get groceries. It has gotten cooler so we have the windows rolled up and the heat is going strong, which does nothing but enhance how good Eric smells. Whatever he is wearing is stirring up my hormones like crazy. The thoughts running through my mind just from his scent alone are hot enough to burn the clothes right off me. The moisture that's pooled in my panties is ridiculous. I have to get out of this car and soon. I keep in mind my promise to Gran and keep my hands to myself. Just as my resolve starts to waver, we pull up the small market and Eric shuts off the car. I quickly climb out and take in a deep breath of fresh air.

Eric leads me to the door of the market with his hand on the small of my back. I pull away and he smirks. It hits me what I want to make for dinner and I send Eric off after the fresh ingredients I need, while I search out the noodles and sauce. The less time we're alone the better. He makes it back to me before I'm finished so I get him to grab the items beyond my reach. I would catch Eric smirking at me every once in a while (enjoying my discomfort I'm sure). I can't wait to kick him in the balls and wipe that smirk from his face. _When did I become so violent? _

"You know, if you don't quit messing with me, I'm going to tell Pam about our little fling."

"First, it was not a fling. At least not for me. Second, tell her. She should know that you want me just as much as I want you."

"See, that right there. You have to stop saying things like that to me. I can't take it."

"Like you can't take seeing me shirtless. Did I make you uncomfortable Sookie?" I would have taken him seriously had he not been smiling ear to ear. I am not a fan of the shit eating grin.

"No, Eric you didn't make me uncomfortable. I was just, um, shit. Yes, I was uncomfortable. I shouldn't be lusting after my best friend's boyfriend, no matter how sexy I think you are."

"You think I'm sexy?" I need to keep my mouth shut.

After that little exchange, I ignore Eric the rest of the shopping trip. Thank God it didn't take us long. We head back to the car and I sigh. I have to crack the window for the ride back. I just can't handle riding with him ensconced in his scent. A woman can only stare down and turn away from so much temptation. We get back to the apartment and Pam is nowhere to be found. I look to Eric and he shrugs as if it's a regular occurrence. He must have read my face as he answers my unasked question.

"She disappears when her father calls. He's top priority for her. She's probably with him now."

"But she knows I'm planning dinner for her. She would have left a note or something, right?"

"Why don't you call her? See where she is. I'll start emptying the bags. Maybe I can help with dinner?" Not a good idea.

"Sure, whatever. I don't really need your help though." I mumble as I dial Pam's number.

"Hey, where are you woman? We're back from the store and you're gone? I'm making you dinner or did you forget?"

"My dad called, I'll be back as soon as I can. Family business. Don't worry your pretty little head, I'll be there. If Eric causes any problems just tell him to fuck off."

She hangs up and I sigh, again. Eric chuckles in the distance and I'm officially not in the mood for his bullshit.

"It was something to do with her father, right?"

"How did you know?"

"Always is. So, what are we making for dinner this evening?"

"Um, we're not making anything. _I'm_ making lasagna."

"You don't want my help?"

"No, I don't."I start gathering my ingredients and set out to brown the ground beef.

"Come on Sookie, just admit it. You are attracted to me. You think about the days we spent together. You want to relive some of the–"

"I will admit to nothing. If you can't keep quiet then I suggest you leave."

"You can't kick me out of my apartment."

"No, but I _can_ ban you from the kitchen."I am so pissed that I spill spaghetti sauce all over my hand while opening the jar. Eric stalks toward me as I clean up my mess.

"You think so, huh? I'd like to see you try it." He grabs my hand, pulling one of my fingers into his mouth and slowly sucks the sauce off. His tongue is warm against my cool skin. He takes his time getting my finger clean, making sure to get every bit of sauce. He licks his lips as he finishes and smiles at me, looking directly into my eyes. My knees go wobbly and I think I am going to hit the floor. This man drives me crazy. The look in his eye is wild as he pulls another finger into his mouth. _Mmm…_I snatch my hand away before he can begin his assault on another one of my digits.

"Pam told me if you gave me trouble to tell you to fuck off. So, fuck off!"

"Really? Sookie." The way he said my name…

"Please, Eric. Just stop. I can't…"

He moves so quickly I almost lose my balance when he grabs my shoulders pulling me to him. He crashes his lips to mine desperately, hungrily. I try to pull away but he has me pinned between the counter and his tall, lean body. His hands move to my waist pulling me even closer and his hips grind into me. My mouth opens on its own accord and his tongue traces my lips. I moan into his mouth and elicit a sexy growl from deep in Eric's chest. As I return his kiss, I mentally slap myself and push against him to separate our bodies for some much needed air. I know I'm not strong enough to move him but he allows it. I run the back of my hand across my mouth, as if that will erase the evidence of our heated kiss, and turn away from him.

"If you ever do that again I will–"

"You will what?"

"I don't know, but something you won't like. Don't do that again, I'm begging you."My words come out in a low whimper.

"I'd rather you beg me to take you over and over again. You kissed me back, you feel it too."

"That doesn't make it right."

"It feels right to me. Why can't you just accept the inevitable? Is that why you ran that night? Were you scared that you felt something for me too?"

"Too? You didn't know me and I didn't know you. We still don't know each other. How can you possibly feel _anything_ for me?"

"I don't deal in _semantics_. I know how I feel and I felt alive when I was with you. Your touch set me on fire. Why do you think I was so insatiable that week? I couldn't get enough of you Sookie and you were the same with me. Take all the time you need to think about it and you'll see. Search deep within yourself and then we'll talk again."

Before I can respond he stalks out of the apartment, leaving me alone with uncooked lasagna and my thoughts. My thoughts are what got me into this in the first place. If I had told Pam right away how I knew Eric, she would understand why I can't stay here. I go about preparing dinner with the hopes that a good meal will soften the blow when I tell her that I'm leaving.

When Pam comes back, I prepare to sit down to a very uncomfortable dinner. I have the table set for two because I don't know if Eric will be coming back or not. He shows up shortly after Pam and doesn't look at me. I know she doesn't know what's happened but my guilt takes a strong hold of me and doesn't let go. My appetite is gone and I can't think straight. I excuse myself without finishing dinner because I can't even look at Pam. Eric keeps his head down as well but I'm not sure he's feeling guilty. I can't worry about his feelings anymore.

"Pam I hope you enjoy dinner but I think I'm going to go to bed. I'm really tired and I need to rest."

"Sure Sookie. Thanks for this. I really appreciate it. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."

I head to my room and collapse on the bed. Today has been one of those days. I get up, with a lot of effort, and brush my teeth and get ready for bed. I climb back into bed and am asleep before my head hits the pillow.

Not long after I've drifted into a pleasant sleep, I'm awakened by a noise. I'm not worried about intruders since Pam is so high up but I can't be sure what I'm hearing. If anything is up Eric should still be here and he can handle it. Since I'm not sure, I creep out into the hall prepared to be scared shitless because there's not much else I can do.

"Pam, stop! I said I have a headache. Go to sleep. It's late."

"What? Are you saying you're too tired to fuck me, Eric?"

"Go to sleep. You're being irrational."

_Oh shit!_ I did not need to hear that. I creep back to my bedroom, shut the door and climb into bed burying my head under two pillows. I know I can't stay here now. I figure he thinks he's punishing himself since I shut him down earlier and is taking his frustration out on Pam.

Between the kiss and the way he licked the sauce from my fingers, my thoughts are consumed with Eric. I fall to sleep with him on my mind. He can't leave me alone even in my dreams, can he?

_His tongue rolls over the dip in my clavicle. He stops to suck at the delicate skin gently nipping at his leisure. His hands have found my breasts and work my nipples into taut buds which react to the slightest touch. I feel his erection pressed against my naked thigh. I moan his name urging him to continue. He looks up at me and smirks knowing that he wants to tease me a little more before giving in to my desires. _

_My hips thrust up into his hovering body making him jerk. Two can play at this game. I slide under him until my mouth is able to reach his nipple. I latch on sucking and biting, making him moan. He grips my hair pulling my face to his, kissing me long and hard. He moves into position between my legs and holds my gaze. He wants me to watch him enter me. I look down as he pushes forward into my center. We both groan and my legs clench down on his waist. I squeeze tightly so that I can hold on. He moves with hard, fast thrusts. I cry for more, harder, faster…_

I wake up realizing that was the last time I'd seen him. Once he'd fallen asleep, I got dressed and walked out of his bedroom and his life for what I thought was forever. Now here I am, dreaming about past indiscretions that I wish were present.


	3. Chapter 3 Eric's POV Day1&2

A/N: Just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who reviews, alerts and favorites my story. I appreciate you so much. Special thank you to my lovie **hearttorn** for her awesome beta skills. Enjoy!

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Eric POV

I don't know what Pam thinks I am but I am not a fucking chauffeur. She calls me up to go with her to pick up her best friend from the airport. I was expecting her to call because she wanted to spend time with me. Every time we talk now she asks me to do something for her. Then, I come home to find she's not even there. I can't figure out why she asked me to move in with her. Between my job and her running to her father's beck and call, we hardly see each other anymore. When we are together all she does is talk about her best friend and how she can't wait to see her again. I tune her out when she starts off with "back when I was in Bon Temps." I'm not interested in what her friend is like and I could care less how much she misses her. I just want to hear that she misses me for once.

But, like the good, pussywhipped boyfriend I am, I cave and drive her to the airport, even scampering off to the luggage claim to get her friend's bag. When Pam tells me her friend's name my breath hitches in my throat. _I know that name_. I've dreamt about a woman who has that name. But this couldn't be the same Sookie that I met last year. Could it? I curse myself for not listening closer to Pam's ramblings about her and what she looks like. She may have even shown me a picture or two but I can't remember now. I walk like a zombie to the carousel to wait for her bag. Then it hits me that I have no idea what kind of bag I'm looking for. I only have her name. Sookie Stackhouse.

I have no idea how many Sookies there are in the world and right now I'm praying that there are at least two. If there is any way that this Sookie, Pam's best friend Sookie, is _my_ Sookie…I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I don't know what I would do if it actually _is_ the same Sookie. After about five minutes of waiting, I spot her name on a tag attached to a small black carryall. I grab it and sling it over my shoulder. My phone chimes alerting me that I have a new text message. It's Pam telling me that they've gone to the car. I make my way to the parking garage and my steps slow as I approach the shiny black BMW. I look up and my gaze falls upon the beautiful blonde standing next to Pam.

In my surprise, and before I can stop myself, I breathe her name, "Sookie." I cannot believe this. It _is_ her and I'm fucked. I walk to the trunk of the car with my head down and place her bag in it. I slam it shut out of sheer frustration and Pam grabs me to introduce us. I see the look of realization in Sookie's eyes but there's nothing to be done. She says my name questionably and I know why. When we met last year I introduced myself to her using my middle name. It was stupid of me to do so at the time but I never gave out my first name to girls who were going to be one night stands. I would have loved to hear _Eric_ being screamed from her lips but I settled for Leif.

My heart skips a beat when our hands touch. That same spark from the first time I met her is still there. It's like a jolt of electricity and butterflies shooting through me all at the same time. She looks just as gorgeous now as she did then in a simple white tee shirt and blue jeans, her hair falling around her shoulders in soft waves. My mind goes into overdrive thinking of a way to get her alone so we can talk. I want to know why she left the way she did and why she never called. I know I slipped my number into her purse. It was cowardly of me but I never thought she wouldn't use it.

But here she is, standing in front of me, next to my girlfriend. All I can think about is the feel of her hair sweeping over my chest as she straddled me, her soft, warm hands holding onto my shoulders for dear life, the scent of her surrounding me like a whirlwind.

We climb into the car and head off to our apartment. As Pam talks her ear off, I can't help but stare at Sookie. Her crystal blues eyes sear into mine in the rearview mirror before she quickly glances away. She could never look me in the eye for long. Her reticence reminds me of the first time we met.

Walking down the street toward one of the local clubs in Stockholm, I stopped short when I saw a mop of blonde hair bent over a mess of items strewn along the sidewalk. I wasn't sure what happened but it looked like the owner of that blonde hair dropped her purse. Being the gentleman that I am, I walked over to help her. She looked up at me and I was done for. She looked so sweet, so innocent–I wanted her as soon as she opened her mouth to tell me her name. I wanted to have her, to possess her, to make her mine so that no other man could claim her. She had no idea how she had me at that moment.

"Thank you so much. I'm such a clumsy dork. Um, I'm Sookie." We'd both reached to pick up her lip gloss when our hands collided and that spark shot through me.

"Leif."

"Thank you, Leif. I appreciate you coming to my rescue. Someone bumped into me, my purse went flying and I think I lost my friend. Hey, you speak English?"

"I do."

"Oh. Well, thank you again. I guess I should try to find my friend." I hoped it wasn't a boyfriend but a girl as beautiful as she was had to be taken.

"Maybe I can help. What does he look like?"

"_She_ looks like me, only taller and much prettier." I looked her over and she dropped her head. She avoided looking up at me again.

"Hmm… taller, okay but prettier… no. You happen to be one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, if not THE most beautiful. I am surprised your boyfriend allows you out alone."

"I'm sure you say that to all the girls. And no, I don't, um, no boyfriend. Just me. I can take care of myself by the way." A slow blush crept across her cheeks as I placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face to meet my eyes.

"I can see that. So, shall we look for your friend?"

"I'm sure I can manage, thank you."

"Okay. Maybe I will see you again, Sookie."

I wasn't going to let her out of my sight that easily. I kept my distance, watching her from the bar as she searched for her friend amongst the hoard of gyrating bodies and flashing lights. She never did find her and I made sure we bumped into one another again. She wasn't as surprised to see me in the club and she looked relieved. We made our way to the door so that we could find someplace quieter to talk.

"I take it you didn't find your friend?"

"No, I'm not sure where she disappeared to. I tried calling her cell but it's so noisy in there she'd never hear it ringing."

"Is this your first time in Stockholm?"

"It is. Are you from here?"

"I am. Born and bred. I could show you around if you like. Maybe keep you company until you find your friend?"

"That would be great if you weren't a stranger."

"We've been introduced so we're not strangers."

"I don't know."

"I promise I don't bite. Is there anything I can do to gain your trust?"

"You don't look like a creep, but I've been told to be on my guard. I'm going to go with my gut."

"So…?"

"You can keep me company until I find Pamela. But after that, we go our separate ways."

"Deal. Are you hungry, Sookie?"

She smiled a little and nodded. We went to get something to eat at Pet Sounds in Södermalm. I liked to think of it as my second home. The food was great and it was always filled with locals–who added to the homey feel–and it didn't hurt that I had a small ownership in the place. Hell, I ate there so much I should have stock in the place. We made small talk about nothing in particular. She was enjoying her food so much that I couldn't concentrate enough to form a complete sentence, let alone pay attention to what she said. The sounds she made as she bit into her scallops with brown butter sauce made my dick twitch.

Before long I had her back at my place and writhing under me in my bed. She wasn't as shy or clumsy as she thought herself to be. She was very take charge in the bedroom. I had to get her to slow down for a minute because she was driving me crazy and I thought I would lose my load in my pants. She knew just how to stimulate my nipples to get me so turned on that I lost all inhibition. Eventually, her dress went one way, my pants the other. We kissed so hard and long that our lips were swollen and sore when we pulled apart.

She reached down into my boxer briefs and made sure not to come up empty handed. The way she ran her hand up and down my length, I had to take her right then and there. I stopped her ministrations and held onto both her wrists with one hand. I placed them over her head, her body planted firmly under mine. I teased every inch of her flesh with my tongue until she begged me to fuck her. I wanted her to know how it felt to be out of control. She thrust her hips against me with so much force I almost lost my grip on her wrists. She was dying to touch me and I wouldn't relent. The minute my tongue touched her nub she screamed my name and I knew that I had her.

We fit together like two pieces of a whole that had been separated but never stopped searching for the other. I groaned into the smooth skin of her neck as she moaned into my ear. I would never forget that sound and how it sent shivers through my body. She clung to me like wet clothes on skin as I took her over and over again. I was unrelenting but she kept up with me. She met me thrust for thrust and even managed to push me onto my back. She rode me like a fucking champ and that was the moment I knew that I could fall in love with her.

When the morning came I didn't want her to leave. I told her as much and she was okay with it since she couldn't find her friend. She, of course, had to go back to her hotel to get some clothes (which I tried to persuade her were not necessary). It didn't take long before we were back in my bed. I couldn't put my finger on what it was I felt with her but there was something there. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. It wasn't love because I didn't know her well enough. But, I didn't want to be apart from her.

When we ventured out for food I kept her close to me; my arm around her waist, pulling her into my side. I had my hand on some part of her body while we ate, as I needed to be in constant contact with her. I just felt good being near her almost like I depended on her for sustenance. She was my air and I couldn't breathe without her. I dreaded the thought of her leaving at the end of the week. We didn't talk much about it because I found myself getting sad at the thought of her departure. I wanted our time to be spent making love and not thinking about needing her, wanting her, being without her.

I was such a pussy. I was being selfish and I couldn't let her go. Maybe she felt that and that's why she snuck away in the middle of the night. I remembered us having fantastic sex and we passed out together, completely sated and satisfied. I woke in the morning to find she had gone. No note, no call, nothing. I would have searched for her at her hotel but I couldn't remember the name of it. I should have gone with her when she went to collect her things.

Now, here I am in the car with my girlfriend and her best friend, who at the moment I can't keep my eyes off of. I'm not the only one who remembers her. My cock seems to want to say hello too. I'm not sure how I'll explain this to Pam but she'll need to know that Sookie and I have a past. I'm surprised Sookie hasn't mentioned me to Pam. In all this time she hasn't even talked about me?

I still can't figure out how I got so hung up on a girl in a matter of days. It made me all the more pissed seeing her now knowing that she didn't call when I know I put my number in her purse. Maybe she lost it? I went crazy those first few weeks after she left. I know I drove my best friend Clancy crazy. I wouldn't stop talking about her. I couldn't get her off my mind. I have to ask her why she never called or I'll go nuts thinking about it.

I don't know how to be around her. We get back to the apartment building and I purposely brush her hand in the elevator to get a reaction. I'm not sure if she felt what I did, but that spark is still there. This is the second time that I've felt it since seeing her again. That has to mean something. In the apartment she all but slinks away from me. I guess she didn't appreciate me touching her.

While Pam is showing Sookie to her room, Pam's cell rings and it's her father's secretary, Felicia. Why the man can't call her himself is beyond me, but I hand over the phone to her and am left alone with Sookie. Finally. I knew Sookie wouldn't appreciate it but I can't help but get closer to her. I lay my heart out to her about everything–my name, my feelings for her, missing her over the past year. She doesn't seem to give a shit. Before I can say anymore Pam comes back interrupting our discussion. I'm frustrated as fuck and decide to leave. I need fresh air. And my dick needs to calm down.

I call Clancy on my way out of the apartment and he can't believe what I tell him.

"Seriously C, she's Pam's best friend. How did _that_ get past me? Why didn't I know this sooner? What the fuck do I do now?"

"I say you tap that ass and get it out of your system. She's only here for a week right? No worries. You'll relieve some frustration, and no one gets hurt."

"What? You think I should go for it?"

"No you asshole. Stay the fuck away from her. You know there's an unwritten rule about best friends. Hands off. I don't care what you have to do but you can't get involved with her again. Pam will forgive you but she would never forgive her. If you care about this girl as much as you think you do, keep your dick in your pants."

"I don't know why I call you."

"Yeah well, no one else would listen to your whining bitch-ass like I would so remember that the next time you need a shoulder to cry on. Pussy!"

"What are you doing now man? I could really use a drink."

"I'll see you in ten. Meet me at Lava?"

"Yeah. Thanks Clancy." I hang up and make my way to meet him. I know he's right but I don't care. I want Sookie and now that she's back in my life, I'll do whatever I can to keep her.

The next morning I'm nursing the worst hangover ever. I tried to drown my sorrows but only got more whiney and bitchy, according to Clancy. Maybe if I make her hate me that will help. I know I can be an ass so I give it a go. First thing in the morning too, I'll send her running. She doesn't take the bait though. She watches me closely but that doesn't mean anything. I notice how odd she acts around me when Pam is in the room. It's almost as if she can't wait to get away from me. Do I repulse her? Or is it that she feels the way I do and the guilt is eating away at her? I don't want her to feel guilty. Sookie runs from the room and Pam gives me a dirty look before going off to check on her.

Wondering if I am the problem, I walk past Sookie's bedroom door and stop to pick up an imaginary piece of lint on the carpet. Yeah, I'm that pathetic. She's talking about another guy? Alcide? What the fuck kind of name is that? _Shit_. I don't want to hear anymore and rush off to get dressed. This news does not put me in a good mood. In fact I'm in such a bad mood I set out teasing Sookie the first chance I get. I want to make her think about us and forget about this Alcide character. So, I casually mention how Pam wants me to cut my hair. She can't even phrase a sentence. I knew that would get her mind working. She has to be thinking about the last time we were together. I know I am. I can still feel the sensation of her tugging on my hair as she climaxed. What I wouldn't give to feel her again…

Once Sookie leaves the table Pam gives me a death glare. I'm not really in the mood for her shit, especially after she thinks I'll cut my hair because she wants me to. It's my signature. It's my staple. I can't cut my hair.

"You know Eric, Sookie and I have been friends for a really long time. She's such a modest little thing. She actually asked me if you could wear a shirt at the apartment while she's there."

"She did? Why?" I try to act nonchalantly about it, but my heart is racing. Does this mean she's affected by seeing me half-naked?

"I don't know. I guess you got her all hot and bothered. How should I know? I'd appreciate it you'd stay fully clothed while she's there, to make her feel more comfortable. Will that be a problem?"

"No, Pamela. It won't be a problem."

"You know I don't like to be called Pamela."

"I do." The scowl that graces her face would make a weaker man wince, but I stare at her head on. _Look, Ma! I got my balls back!_

"Just because Sookie's here doesn't mean I'm to be taken advantage of, Northman."

"Of course not, mitt husdjur. Is there anything else I can do for you, highness?"

"Don't be an ass. And be nice to my friend. She won't want to come back if she has to put up with your bullshit."

"My bullshit? You've got to be kidding me, Miss Priss. I didn't ask to come along on this little excursion of yours. Speaking of which, I'm not your fucking chauffeur. The next time you need to go somewhere, drive yourself."

"I don't know my way around Stockholm."

"You've been here a year, Pam. There's no excuse."

"Whatever! Look, Sookie's coming back. Remember what I said, and be nice."

I'm really beginning to dislike her ass. She can be rude and for the most part I can handle it, but lately she's unbearable. Seeing Sookie makes me light up again. I hope Pam doesn't notice but a small part of me hopes she does.

I told Pam I wasn't _her_ chauffeur, so she has me drive Sookie around. I hate the grocery store more than anything. This little surprise that Sookie's cooked up is more trouble than it's worth. I can't even enjoy the fact that we'll be in a car, alone. Sookie won't look at me, she won't talk to me. She seems deep in thought but I can't tell. Sitting in this small, enclosed space, her perfume sets me off and my pants are getting a little tighter. I haven't forgotten the way she tastes–mmm, like honey. I lick my lips just thinking about running my tongue down the slope of her back. The thoughts going through my mind are nothing short of pornographic. I need to get out of this car before I decide to pull over and fuck her on the side of the road. Sookie is definitely going to be the end of me.

As we walk through the store I can't help but tease her a little. After Pam told me she was uncomfortable seeing me shirtless, I am confident that Sookie feels something for me. Why else would it bother her that I don't wear a shirt? When she admits to thinking I'm sexy, that seals the deal for me. Sookie and I need to talk about what future there is for us. I realize now that she is all I think about and my feelings from last year have not faded. I hoped that they would subside when I met Pam but she hasn't captivated my heart like Sookie has.

We get back to the apartment and as I anticipated, Pam is nowhere to be found. I have my suspicions about what she does when she says she's visiting her father, but I have no proof. Honestly, I hope she's cheating on me. That'll make things easier for me. I don't want to break her heart. This is a fucked up situation but one I am prepared to deal with. If Sookie would tell me what it is that she wants–whether that be me or not, I can plan from there. Right now, she's sending me mixed signals. I find my opening when she spills tomato sauce all over her hands. I can't resist taking her soft fingers into my mouth, sucking the sauce off gently. Her eyes glaze over as I run my tongue over my lips, savoring her flavor.

I take the bull by the horns and kiss her. She kisses me back. The warmth of her sweet little tongue gliding over my lips makes me want her even more. Then she groans–she fucking groans into my mouth and I lose it. She pushes me away and I sigh internally. She's not ready yet. I leave her in peace to deal with her thoughts. She needs time and I will give it to her. I want her to think about our kiss. I want her to think about how she felt in my arms. I want her to think about being with me again.

I call Clancy once I leave to get some much needed fresh air. I don't want to go too far in case Sookie needs me. Who am I kidding? I don't want to go too far in case she changes her mind and comes looking for me.

"Clancy, I kissed Sookie and she kissed me back."

"Pam is going to kick your ass if she finds out. I just might help her. Did you not listen to a word I said? I told you to stay away from the girl not kiss her! Don't you value your balls Northman?"

"I just got them back so of course I do, but I'm following my heart. I can't deny what I feel and what I feel with Sookie does not compare to what I have with Pam. In fact, I don't feel anything with Pam. She's never around; she treats me like a minion rather than her lover. I think I want to pursue Sookie to see where things could go. This is serious, man. I need you to support me not fight with me."

"I'm looking out for you, you know that. You can't put yourself between two best friends. You won't be happy when Sookie chooses Pam because that's definitely what she'll do. She won't choose you. You need to come to grips with that and leave her alone."

"I still don't know why I call you." I hang up feeling more depressed now than I think I ever have in my life. I need a new best friend.

Once I calm down and collect my thoughts, I realize he's right. She won't choose me. She's known Pam longer, she loves Pam, I'm just some guy she fucked once upon a time and left high and dry. I can't face either of them when I return to the apartment. I look up briefly to see Sookie with her head down. I can't help but replay her last words to me over and over again. _"You didn't know me and I didn't know you. We still don't know each other. How can you possibly feel anything for me?"_ Maybe she's right. We don't know each other. The problem is I want to know her and she keeps fighting against me.

Pam looks back and forth between the both of us but keeps quiet. Sookie excuses herself from the table and Pam rips into me.

"What the fuck did you do?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sookie's never this quiet. She seems sad and I want to know why. I send you with her to the store and I come back and she's alone making dinner. You couldn't stay to help her?"

"She didn't want my help." I am so close to telling her to fuck off but I can't do it. I'm going to listen to Clancy and back off. I just hope I haven't ruined Sookie's trip.

"Yeah well, something's up and I'm going to find out what it is."

"You do that. Where were you tonight?"

"Don't try to change the subject."

"Don't avoid my question. Where. Were. You?"

"If you must know, my father called and needed me to help him with some work stuff."

"Work stuff? Okay, Pam. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Wait. Eric! Don't be like that."

She and I both know she's full of shit. She's hiding something and doesn't want to tell me about it for some reason. I guess we all have secrets. I don't think I can continue to play this game anymore. I won't pursue Sookie but I'm also backing away from Pam. After tonight, we're done. I'll tell her everything in the morning after I've gotten some sleep. Today has been a long day and I can't take any more stress or bullshit. I have to put Sookie Stackhouse out of my head and out of my heart.

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A/N: Translation – my pet (although when put into the translator it's my domestic animal, LOL)


	4. Chapter 4 Day 3

Day 3

Having a weak moment, I decide to call Alcide. I have to stop thinking about Eric but that dream I had just isn't helping. I already planned to pack my bag in the morning, march out to Pam and tell her I'm leaving and why. Except it's the middle of the night and I can't even think about sleeping, let alone what I need to do in the morning. So, I pick up my phone and dial Alcide's number. Before I remember the time difference the phone is ringing–he picks up on the second ring.

"Hello?" His raspy voice comes through the earpiece so low I strain to hear him.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I forgot about the time difference. This is Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse. I met you on the plane to New York?"

"Sookie? Hey. How could I ever forget meeting you?" He clears his throat. "I'm glad you called. Don't worry about the time. I'm usually awake at odd hours so you can call me whenever. How's your vacation been so far?"

"Not good. That's why I'm calling. I was hoping you could distract me a little."

"Really?" I can hear the smile in his voice. I like the thought of him smiling because of me.

"I ran into someone I never thought I'd see again and now I want to leave, but I haven't toured the city or done anything relaxing. I needed some cheering up and I thought of you. Do you think you could just talk to me for a bit, make me feel better?"

"I will do my best to do that but over the phone may be a little difficult. Did you want me to meet you somewhere? My next book isn't due for a while now and I'm halfway done. I can hop on the next plane and come see you." Wow! I don't even know what to say.

"Would you be willing do that for someone you've just met?"

"No, cher. Only for you. So, where are you exactly?"

"I'm in Stockholm, Sweden."

"How's the weather?"

"Nice, but it gets chilly at night. I'm sure you'd be fine considering you live in New York."

"That's good to know. How much longer you planning to be there?"

"Uh, just a few more days."

"I guess I better get a move on then. I'll call you with the details and see you when I land."

"I'm looking forward to it. And, Alcide?"

"Yes, Sookie?"

"Thank you."I can't believe that he's willing to jump on a plane to come see me and I'm almost ashamed to admit how happy I am that he is. He may be just what the doctor ordered.

After talking with Alcide last night I'm looking forward to seeing him today. I haven't made any effort to get out of bed yet and I'm afraid to face Eric. Who am I kidding? I'm afraid to face Pam, too. I have no idea how to start our much needed conversation but I'll figure it out.

Eric ignores me at breakfast. He barely looks up at me to say hello over his coffee mug. I wonder what's gotten into him. Maybe I hurt his feelings last night. I didn't mean to; I just can't betray Pam. I've packed my bag and set it by the bedroom door. Once I build up the nerve I'm going to tell her about us. She'll have to be understanding about this situation because I haven't acted on any impulses–aside from giving in to his kiss–but that wasn't my doing. He kissed me. Forget that I wanted him to kiss me, _he kissed me_. Not the other way around.

"Morning guys. Um, Pam. I need to talk to you. In private." Eric looks up at me then.

"Shit Sook, whatever you want to say to me you can say in front of Eric. He's cool."

"Uh, okay then. I've decided to leave. I can't stay here with you any longer."

"What's going on? Why are you leaving when you just got here?" She turns to face me giving me her undivided attention.

"I know it's just that, I need to tell you–"

"She's leaving because of me."

"What the fuck did you do now, Eric?"

"Nothing, Pam. Sookie and I know each other. We met last year." _Thanks for speaking up Eric. _I'd lost my nerve.

"Well that's not really a big deal. I wish you would have told me that two days ago but… wait, why didn't you tell me at the airport? You two pretended that you didn't know each other for my sake?"

"Because we fucked Pam. You couldn't expect Sookie to come right out and tell you _that_ now could you?"

"Eric!" I wish I had known he was going to say that. I wanted to break it to Pam gently.

"No, Sookie. She needs to know everything. There's no point in pussyfooting around."

"Sookie? What is he talking about?"

"When we came here last year, for vacation… He's Leif." Her eyes kind of glazed over as she took in my words. "I didn't talk to you about it then because I was embarrassed and pissed at you for ditching me. I'd never done anything like that before and I just couldn't tell you. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You're sorry? Is that all you can say?"

"I don't know what else to say, Pam. I am sorry. I need you to know that if I could change things I would. But I can't."

"You've been my best friend since I can remember and all you can say is _you're sorry_? You are a sorry bitch if ever I met one."

"Pam! That's uncalled for. Sookie isn't telling you this to hurt you."

"Fuck you Eric! Don't you talk to me about what's uncalled for. I should have known. I should have known something was up. The way you two have been acting around one another and all the quiet, brooding bullshit you've been doing lately." _He's been brooding_?

"Pam, I'm really sorry. I know you're upset but you have to understand why I didn't say anything."

"No, I don't understand. Why don't you enlighten me?"

"I never thought I'd see Leif, er, Eric again. I mean, I met him before you two got together and it was just a meaningless fling. We had fun for a week–"

"No, you _fucked_ for a week. Big difference."

"Okay. Yes, we had sex. But there was no way for me to know he's who you were dating now. All you told me about your boyfriend was you thought he was the one and you wanted my seal of approval. You never went into detail about him."

"Can you blame me? I should have seen this coming. He's hot, you're hot, and I've left you two alone here more than once. I guess it was only a matter of time. Forget the fact that you _knew _each other before; it's obvious that you are attracted to one another. You are interested in her right, Eric? Isn't that why you've been distant, why you turned me down last night?" I shake my head at him begging him not to answer.

"Yes. I still have feelings for Sookie." He looks me dead in the eye. I am so fucked.

"Still? You mean after a year you still have feelings for her?" Pam seems pretty pissed and rightly so. I can't even look at her.

"Yes."

"I didn't know. Pam you have to believe that I didn't know. If I knew who he was, do you honestly think I would have come here? I definitely wouldn't have stayed here with the two of you. I'm only telling you this now because I want to make things right between us. We're not supposed to have secrets and I've been keeping a big one. I'm so sorry."

"Shut up. Can you shut up and stop telling me how _sorry you are_. I don't want to hear another word from your mouth. Just get out. GET OUT!" I go back to my room to grab my bag and head to the front door to leave. I don't want Pam to be any more upset than she is now.

"Pam, aren't you being a little harsh?"

"You get the fuck out too you fucker! How could you do this to me?"

"Do WHAT to you? I haven't done anything!"

"Oh, you think I haven't seen the googly eyes you make at Sookie? I'm not blind, Eric. I'm used to women ogling you but, I've caught _you_ staring at Sookie. Just get the fuck out before I cut your balls off and serve them to you on a silver platter!"

The last thing I hear as the door slams shut behind me is a glass shattering against the wall. I'm so lost in my thoughts I don't hear the door to Pam's apartment open and close again.

"Sookie! Sookie, wait. Please?" I push the elevator button repeatedly, hoping it will show up before Eric gets to me. No such luck. I keep my back to him as I reply.

"Eric, I don't think this is such a good idea. I shouldn't be talking to you, not after… We've hurt Pam enough."

"Pam will be fine. She's not as innocent as you think. Once she calms down you should call her and talk to her again. You haven't done anything wrong and she'll see that. You don't have anything to worry about. Me on the other hand…"

"I'm sorry I came here."

"I'm not. I wish you would have come back sooner. Actually, I wish you would have never left. Things would be so different between us now. I wanted to tell you _then_ how I felt Sookie, how I feel now. I've tried to fight it but I can't. I want to be with you. Where are you going? I still have my flat. You can stay with me if you want to."

"THAT is definitely not a good idea. I can stay at a hotel."

"Is that all you have to say to me? Did you not hear anything else I said?"

"I did, Eric but it doesn't matter. Besides, I'm meeting someone."

"You're meeting someone. Who?" He looks really angry. I shouldn't have said anything.

"It's really none of your business–"

"Alcide?"

"How could you know that?" He says something under his breath in Swedish, which I guarantee is an onslaught of profanities.

"I overheard you talking about him with Pam. You can't be serious? You just met this guy now you're what…? Do you like him? Are you planning on fucking and leaving him without a word too?" The elevator arrives but Eric moves in front of the door. "I'm sorry Sookie. I shouldn't have said that."

"That's none of your business. And hurtful and mean."

"It is my business when I think I'm… You know what; I promised myself I wouldn't do this. I've spoken my piece. I was going to back off and leave you alone but–"

"You should… leave me alone, I mean. I don't want to hurt Pam anymore than I already have–than we already have. She's my best friend and I need her more than I need you." I said what I thought would hurt him to push him away. I push the elevator call button again.

"You don't feel anything for me? Even after that kiss?"

"How can I? How can I even think about being with you when I know how much pain it would cause Pam?"

He grabs my shoulders pulling me to him and kisses me hard on the mouth. His kiss is full of passion and desire and lust. I try my hardest not to kiss him back. I can't give in, I won't give in. He breaks the kiss for a much needed breath and leans his forehead against mine. Being this close to him is so hard. I know I'm doing the right thing and I need to walk away now before it's too late.

"What if this wasn't causing her pain? What if she wasn't as hurt as you think she is? Would that make a difference?"

"Eric, I can't even think about this right now, and where the _fuck_ is the elevator?"

"Are you in that much of a hurry to get away from me?" He laughs to lighten the mood.

"Yes. I mean, no… I mean, I don't know." I let out a deep sigh. All this waiting on the elevator has made me consider taking the stairs. Eric reaches up to run his thumb across my cheek and I step back avoiding his touch. If I let him touch me again I know I'll give in and I just can't.

"When you put it that way… I can't let you walk away again. Sookie, I…"

"Look Eric, maybe you're right and I shouldn't have left the way I did. Maybe things would be different now, but _this_ is where we are and _this_ is what I have to do. I'm sorry. Goodbye." And just like that, I resolve to walk out of his life. Again.

I turn on my heel and run to the stairwell, the near silent swish of the closing door the only sound I hear. I rush to get down the stairs before the first tear threatening to spill over my lashes makes its way down my cheek. I brush the salty moisture away with the back of my hand vowing to never shed another tear over Eric Northman. He has feelings for me and I may have feeling for him too. I just don't know how I feel about anything anymore. I hate being so confused and I really can't wait until Alcide gets here.

Seeing Alcide for the first time in days was just… he awakens something in me. I know he can help me forget about the one who shall not be named. I need to forget about him although just thinking about _not_ saying his name makes me weak in the knees.

I look up and smile as the familiar face rouses me from my pity party. Those beautiful green eyes are sparkling at me. He smiles and I remember why I like him so much. Unh… I can't wait to run my fingers through his hair. He must have been just as nervous to see me again because his dark locks look wildly tousled. It's a very good look on him. I guess he hasn't shave since I last saw him because he has the beginnings of a beard. It gives him a bit of a distinguished look. I like it. I like it a lot. I must not have noticed before but he has the cutest little dimples when he smiles. I know why I didn't notice, he'd never been this close to me before now.

"Well hello, Miss Stackhouse. It's so good to see you again." He pulls me in for a hug and I inhale deeply as he squeezes me. God does he smell incredible.

"Yeah, um, you… too." He smiles at me again, revealing those gorgeous white teeth of his. I'm going to die right where I stand.

"So, what should we do today? I didn't have anything planned but spending time with you, so whatever you want to do, I'm all for it."

"Um, how about dinner? I'm really hungry. Unless you want to nap first then we could go out. I know the flight was long and you have to be tired."

"No, I'll manage. I'm used to staying up late hours. I'm a writer, remember? Sometimes an idea hits me in the middle of the night and I have to put it down on paper. I usually don't go back to sleep if I'm on a roll. Plus, I got a little shut eye on the plane." He winks at me and I swear my heart stops. His gesture reminds me of Eric and I mentally smack myself.

"I'd really like to get out of Stockholm so maybe we can go to Gothenburg. It's on the west coast of Sweden and we can get there by train. There are quite a few things to do there and I've looked into other places we can go. What do you think?"

"A train ride would be nice. We can talk and get to know each a little more." I nod and have to keep myself from jumping up and down like a kid who's going to Disney World.

His only luggage is a small carryall so we head out to catch a cab to the Stockholm Central Station. It's a huge, beautiful building and I would love to look around but I'm afraid that we'll run into Eric or Pam. Why I'm so paranoid, I don't know. There's no reason either of them would be here. I need to calm down. We buy our tickets to Gothenburg and grab two seats to wait for our train.

I call Gran to let her know about my change of plans and to catch up since I haven't spoken to her in a day or two. She tells me that she thinks I'm doing the right thing and that I should enjoy the rest of my vacation. She's handling the bakery fairly well on her own and thinks I should take a few extra days since I've had such a rough time. I think on it as I hang up and then my phone rings. I'm not sure who would be calling but I answer it since it's already in my hand. I don't check the Caller ID. Big mistake.

"Sookie. Please don't hang up."

"Are you calling to yell at me some more, Pam? I thought you said all you wanted to me earlier today." Alcide looks over at me with concern and I wave him off. I throw on a little smile so that he doesn't worry.

"Please, Sookie. I'm calling to apologize. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. You and Eric were in the past. I should have known he was the Leif you told me about. It didn't click until after I had time to think about it. Can we just get past this? Where are you? Come back to the apartment." She sounds sincere.

"I'm at the train station, Pam. I'm not coming back."

"The train station! Where are you going? Why are you taking the train?"

"Alcide's come to visit and we're going to Gothenburg. Besides, Eric's still there isn't he?" The phone goes silent. "Pam?" _Damn!_ Why did I just tell her where I'm going?

"Yeah, I'm still here. Eric was just here but he seems to have left. You have to come back Sookie. We need to talk."

"I don't know, Pam. I want to talk to you to hash things out but I can't stay with you if Eric's there. I just can't."

"I get it. I'll make sure he isn't here. As a matter of fact, I think we're calling it quits. I don't want to lose you, Sookie. You're my best friend and nothing can come between us. Yes, I almost let a guy come between us but he's not who I need in my life. I need you, Sookie." Alcide nudges me to let me know our train will be boarding soon.

"I don't want to lose you either, Pammy. You know I wouldn't have done anything right? I would never betray you like that."

"I know. Look, there's something I really need to tell you Sookie." I didn't catch her last sentence as Alcide picked up our bags and held his hand out to me.

"Listen, we'll talk when I get back. Gran said that I can take a few extra days so maybe I'll come see you then. Okay?"

"Sure, it can wait until you get back. Thanks for giving me a chance. I love you, Sookie."

"I love you too. I'll call you when I can."

Alcide and I move closer to our platform to wait for the train. We sit on a small bench and spend the remaining time talking about his flight and the guy who sat next to him talking his ear off about oral hygiene. He was a dentist. I laugh and remind him that our first flight together could have turned out the same way. Alcide rests his arm on the back of the bench, his fingers playing with a lock of my hair.

"There's no way I wouldn't have listened to anything you had to say." I blush at his words.

"You're just being sweet. Um, I know we haven't discussed sleeping arrangements…" He holds his hand up in a stop gesture.

"I was planning on getting my own room, wherever we end up. I don't want to pressure you into anything, Sookie. We just met and I want you to be comfortable with me."

"I am comfortable with you and I appreciate you thinking about my feelings. I'm really looking forward to touring the city…" I stop mid-sentence because I can't help but feel something's off.

I get this nagging feeling to turn around and look behind me. I didn't want to but I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched. Alcide looks at me waiting for me to continue my thought. I reluctantly turn around, peering over my shoulder to see Eric. He's standing about ten feet away from us (gorgeous as ever in a navy v-neck sweater and dark jeans), and he does not look happy.

* * *

A/N: To my lovely reader howyoudsdoin, I took your advice and had Eric make the confession to Pam and here is Alcide as you requested. Thank you to frlarsson who is my Sweden expert. Thank you to all of you who alert and favorite this story. I appreciate it more than you know. I love the reviews and please keep them coming. I answer them all and they keep me writing. To my lovie **hearttorn**, thanks for being my second set of eyes. I reworked this after sending it to my beta so any mistakes are my own.


	5. Chapter 5 Pam's POV

Pam POV

I cannot believe my ears. Eric is the 'Leif' Sookie told me about last year? I can't help myself. I explode and yell the most hurtful things possible at Sookie. I want her to feel the pain that I feel. I want her to… stay.

I think about what I said to her and know for certain I didn't mean any of it. I love Sookie and didn't want to hurt her, although I know that I have. I'm upset. Why would she keep such a thing from me? I thought we were closer than that. The more I think about it the more I realize she was trying to protect and keep from hurting _me_. She cares about our friendship and didn't want to do anything to jeopardize it. I understand that now, but shit!

"All right, Pam. You need to fess up. What the fuck is going on with you?"

Well I hadn't expected Eric to burst back into the apartment like he did but I'd had a few moments to think about things. I realize I overreacted with Sookie and I need to apologize. She just doesn't… she couldn't know how I feel and wouldn't know because I haven't told her.

"Why, whatever do you mean, _Leif_?"

"Don't play coy with me. Why did you flip out on Sookie like that? She's your best friend who you do nothing but speak well of, and now you throw her out of your apartment without even talking to her first? Talk about not wanting to ruin your relationship. She's really hurt over this Pam and you need to fix it."

"I can't fix it. I'll only make things worse." He has no idea.

"Then you need to tell _me_ what to do so I can fix it. It's clear to me now we're not right for each other. I never thought we were soul mates but I after today I find that I'm still in love with Sookie. You know the first time we met, I thought you were her. You reminded me of her a little, and I thought if I couldn't have her I would take the next best thing."

"Wow, Eric. That's real nice. Would you like to make me feel even more like shit?"

"I'm sorry, Pam. I'm just being honest with you. I'm not in love with you. I love you, more like a friend, but romantically, no. It's been fun being with you but you've been weird for the past few months. I thought moving in with you would help but it hasn't. I can't live like this anymore and I need to know what's going on. Why don't you start with the truth? Are you cheating on me?"

How to answer that loaded question? Well, there's the truth, which I'm not too keen on telling him. I can lie but I'd have to come up with something quickly or I can stretch the truth. I think long and hard before I answer because what I tell Eric will change things for the both of us. And I guess, Sookie too.

"Eric, it's not that simple. I don't consider what I've been doing _cheating_. Yes, I've not been completely honest with you but there isn't another guy. I have been seeing someone when I tell you I'm working for my father."

"Felicia?"

"Yes. What made you guess Felicia?"

"You said it was not another guy and she always seems to call you for your father. I had an idea that you weren't rushing off to help your father like you said you were."

"No, I wasn't. I was meeting with Felicia. She's helping me with a bit of research."

"Research? What kind of research?"

"See, that's where it gets tricky. Once I tell you, I think it'll open your mind to a few things and I'm not quite sure if I'm ready for you to have that information yet."

"Cut the shit, Pamela! Just tell me already."

"If I tell you then Sookie–"

"Wait? What does this have to do with Sookie?"

"It has everything to do with Sookie. That's the point." I try to avert his eyes but his gaze follows my every move.

"Are you telling me you're gay?"

"No! I'm not gay. I'm just, um, possibly in love with my best friend." He laughs. Long and loud. I'm seriously thinking about kicking him in the balls but I wouldn't want to cause any permanent damage.

"Well fuck me! Pam, if you're in love with Sookie, don't you think that makes you gay?"

"No, because I don't want to fuck every woman I see, just Sookie. And I don't want to _fuck her_. I'd just like to be intimate with her, love her. I still want to fuck you, though. You're rather good if I can say that without inflating your ego too much."

"Honestly, I did not see that coming."

"How could you? Why would you? You hardly listened when I'd talk to you about her. I know how smart you think you are, but I could tell you were ignoring me. Maybe if you'd listened more closely we wouldn't be in this situation now."

"Oh, really? You think you can put this on me? I don't think so. This is all on you. Does Sookie have any idea?"

"Of course not, you ass. If she knew…"

"If she knew, you two wouldn't be friends, would you? You wouldn't be able to keep the same relationship with her knowing that you want more and she doesn't."

"I don't know that. I don't know how she will react and I'm sure we can still be friends."

"Let's not be delusional, Pam. She met some guy on the plane ride here. I don't think she would have told you about that if she wanted you."

"Fuck you, Northman!"

"Yeah, now I get why you want to." He laughs.

He's such an asshole. I don't know why I even bother… well, yes I do. I picked him because he's a blue eyed blonde. Not exactly the shade of blue that catches the light just right and creates the cutest twinkle in Sookie's eyes, but close–and they have the same hair color. The moment I saw him I knew that he would be able to help me get over my crush. It really is a crush. I mean I think it is. I didn't always look at Sookie in that way. She was–she is my friend, my best friend.

The first time I met Sookie was in high school. I'd just moved to Louisiana with my mother. My father remained in London due to business obligations, so I had the option of staying with him or going with my mother. I obviously chose the latter and am all the happier for it. I would not have met Sookie had I stayed with my father. Now that he's relocated to Stockholm, I thought I would spend time with him. My mother and I have grown apart over the years and I really can't deal with her shit anymore. It helped that Sookie and I came here for vacation so that I could get a feel for the place. I loved it the moment I stepped foot on Swedish soil.

Life in Louisiana would have been boring had I not met Sookie. We connected almost instantly and became fast friends. She lived with her Gran which afforded us lots of girl time. We never had to worry about boys rushing in to our slumber parties or breaking up our dance sessions. Yes, things were good until I began to take notice of Sookie's blossoming body.

The few times we went swimming together I caught myself ogling her in her bikini but I thought that was normal. Doesn't everyone check out their friends, make comparisons at the differences in body parts? I think my feelings changed the first time I saw her naked and became aroused by her bountiful bosom. I'd never wanted to touch a woman's breasts as much as I did in that moment. I thought of all the ways I could run my tongue over her dusty rose colored nipples, making them perk up with each flick of my tongue and nip of my teeth. I'd pay special attention to her soft, creamy smooth skin as I ran my hands down her sides and over her hips. I pictured myself kissing down her body to the triangle of golden curls just above her mound. I would look up at her and she'd spread her legs for me, giving me permission to taste her.

But I knew Sookie didn't look at me that way when she started dating that asshole Bobby. What the hell kind of name is Bobby Joe Burnham anyway? BJ Burnham we used to call him. Could she have picked anyone more hickish than him? He was such an asshole that he made you call him Bobby Joe when you talked to him. Who does that? He'd get pissed if you just called him Bobby or BJ. I hated his guts but not as much as the second guy she dated. Quinn. Ugh! No, he was a guy that had no business dating Sookie. The simple fact that he shaved his head should have told her something. He was so fucking conceited. All he did was talk about himself. Just thinking about his purple eyes makes me want to vomit. And the annoying way he used to call her 'babe.'

She would not listen to my warnings about him, but then again she never listens to me when it comes to men. I only pretended to be happy about this asshole Alcide she met on the plane. I mean really, what kind of guy picks up a woman on a plane? She couldn't run away from him so she had to be polite during their flight. But she seemed genuinely excited about him. That worries me but not as much as her previous relationship with Eric.

As I look Eric over I recall her telling me about 'Leif' on our flight home. I thought she was in love with him. I didn't understand how she could be in love with a guy she'd just met and spent a week with. I have heard of love at first sight but that shit can't be real. Can it? She went on and on about him so much that I finally told her to just go back and find him. She knew where he lived, why the heck not? Though, I didn't want her to go. I only said it because I thought it would make her happy. Of course, she didn't try to find him and I smiled to myself when she told me it was a lost cause. She had run out on him and didn't think he'd want to see her again anyway. I played my part and made sure she had my shoulder to cry on. I cradled her gently in my arms, inhaling her lovely floral scent. I was so fucked.

That week we had gotten back I wanted to tell her about my feelings for her. I knew she wouldn't reciprocate but at least she would know. That was when I'd found _Leif's_ number in her purse. I panicked and shoved it into my pocket before she could see. I realize now that if she had found his number we would be in a completely different predicament. So instead of confessing all to her, I worked to help her get over Eric. It didn't take long before she had immersed herself in her work and had almost completely forgotten about him.

Here I've harbored my feelings for her and have grown bitter. I yelled at her like a crazy woman because I was upset with myself. I wanted to tell her then that I loved her but I couldn't do it. I didn't know if I did love her or was just infatuated with her. Sookie has a way about her that just makes you fall for her so fast. She's beautiful and sweet and funny. She doesn't see herself for the great catch that she is but she is truly amazing.

I can see now why Eric couldn't stop staring at her. I didn't let it bother me because I'm used to it. Wherever we go Sookie gets a lot of attention. Actually, we both do. We just shirk it off as guys being the horny bastards they are and laugh in their faces. With Eric, I could see more there. He wasn't looking at her rack like most guys do; he looked at her eyes, like he was searching for something. That right there should have alerted me to the situation but I was too busy thinking about making my confession to Sookie.

Eric clears his throat bringing me from my reverie. I look up at him not knowing what to do next.

"So, Pam you still haven't explained yourself. What have you and Felicia been up to?"

"Oh, that. Well, as I said she was helping me with research. Felicia is quite the expert at eating pussy. She was giving me lessons."

"What? Are you serious? What the fuck, Pam? Did you honestly think Sookie would let you…? You did, didn't you? You sick little puppy… " He shakes his head at me in mock disbelief.

"Fuck you, Eric you fucking fuck! I had a plan thank you very much and it would have been fine had you not fucked it up."

"Oh no… you cannot blame this on me. And what was this brilliant plan of yours? Get her drunk then molest her while she's in a drunken stupor?" He raises one eyebrow at me. I hate when he does that it. It's so annoying.

"NO! Well… no. Getting her drunk was part of it but I wouldn't molest her. I think she would be more open to what I had to say if her inhibitions were out the window. It's probably how you got her into bed the first time."

"I don't have to get a woman drunk to get her to sleep with me. We were completely sober and enjoyed every minute of it. I hate to break it to you Pam but Sookie likes men. Even if your little "plan" did work, I can guarantee it would only be a onetime thing. You do realize how that would affect your friendship? Do you think she would be able to look at you the same after? I can tell you didn't think this through. Listen, why don't you just call her up and talk to her. That way you'll get it off your chest and she will know how you feel. You know, I just realized I should be more upset with you after finding this out. You've been sneaking around behind my back getting lessons in oral when I would have happily taught you whatever you wanted to know."

"Eww, Eric, no. You're good but Felicia's better. I think you're right though. I should call her, apologize and tell her how I feel. So, I guess this means what for us? I know you'll want to move out but you don't have to. I'd still like your company."

"Oh. I don't think that will work out. I still want to be with Sookie. I just want to make sure you'd be okay with that. I don't want you to be upset with her if she wants to be with me, too. To be fair, we knew each other first. It just so happens that you and I found one another. You care about Sookie's happiness, right?"

"Of course I do. Can I have some time to think about it? Maybe after I've talked to her first?"

"Sure. I don't think we came into this relationship with any intentions of hurting each other but we both wanted a replacement for Sookie. That's really fucked up when you think about it." We both laugh.

"It is, but we both know what we want."

"And its Sookie," we say in unison.

I can't stay mad at Eric, no matter how much I want to. I hold up my phone to show him that I'm dialing Sookie. She answers and I apologize profusely. I think she has forgiven me and I want to tell her that I love her before I waste anymore time. She surprises me when she says she won't be coming back to the apartment, and before I know it Eric's taken off. I'm sure he heard me say where she was and took off to go after her. I can't say that I blame him. I do value our friendship over everything and I would much rather she be happy with Eric and still be my friend than any of the alternatives. _What am I saying?_ Fuck that. I'll wait until she returns and I'll tell her everything and then I'll give her the best orgasm of her life. Who knows, maybe she'll be open to exploring a _closer _relationship with me. A girl can dream.

* * *

A/N: Just want to give a little shout out to my helpers on this chapter. **CassandraMello** and **hearttorn** loved this over for me. I appreciate the input and thank you for helping me straighten this chapter out. I hope you all enjoyed it and you can tell me all about it when you leave a review. xoxo


	6. Chapter 6 Day 3 Eric's POV

Eric POV

I heard what she said. I truly did. I keep replaying her words over and over again like a broken record. _"Look Eric, maybe you're right and I shouldn't have left the way I did. Maybe things would be different now, but this is where we are and this is what I have to do. I'm sorry. Goodbye."_ I want to run after her, tell her that we can figure things out but I don't. I'm such a chicken shit. I can't stand to see her hurting so much and knowing that I'm the cause of it just pisses me off even more. But I also can't help wondering what things would be like if she hadn't run away then. I'm so fucked.

I storm back into the apartment seeking answers. If I'm going to try to get back into Sookie's good graces, I need to find out where Pam and I stand. I don't want to hurt her but I really think she's cheating on me. If she is, there's my easy out. No one gets hurt. I know that's bullshit but it's all I have to go on right now.

I can't say I'm feeling better after our little talk. Pam could change her mind at the drop of a dime and not tell Sookie that she's in love with her. That was a hard pill to swallow. She's in love with her? I may have more work ahead of me than I realized. I probably shouldn't be eavesdropping, but I want to make sure Pam keeps her word and calls Sookie. I'm more than sure Sookie will be shocked by Pam's revelation but she needs to know how Pam feels about her. I still can't believe she's been fucking around on me with Felicia and thinks it's not cheating. She either thinks I'm an idiot or really believes that shit. I should be more pissed about this whole situation, but I've gotten used to having Pam in my life and I want to keep things the way they are. We can be friends. In fact, we can be the best of friends. Once you get used to Pam's attitude, the rest is a cake walk.

I'm trying to get my thoughts together because I can't think of anything but Sookie. I know she's probably at some hotel somewhere feeling lonely and I wish I could go to her and comfort her. Make her see that we belong together. Pam raises her voice and it grabs my attention.

"_The train station! Where are you going? Why are you taking the train?"_

As soon as I hear the words "train station" leave Pam's lips I'm out the door. I knew she was leaving the apartment but the city too? I have to find her and talk to her. I hope I can get to her before she goes wherever it is she's going. _Shit, didn't she mention meeting someone?_ I hop into my car and drive faster than I've ever driven in my life. I'm sure there's a pissed off police officer somewhere behind me. I can't stop until I get to Sookie. This may be my last chance.

I get to the train station and search desperately for Sookie. I'm not sure where to look because I have no idea where she could be. I pull out my cell and call Pam.

"Do you know where Sookie's going?"

"Well hello to you too, Eric. I'm doing just fine after you blew out of here so fast, thanks for asking."

"Cut the shit, Pam. Do you know where she's going?"

"What's crawled up your ass and died?" I hear her wisecracking ass laughing at me. I'm not amused.

"Pam, please stop fucking with me and just answer the question? Where. Is. Sookie. Going?"

"Why? Where are you? You're not… oh boy, you are, aren't you? You've really got it bad don't you? What a pity."

"Pamela, I can do without your bullshit right now. I'm freaking out and I need you to tell me which train Sookie is getting on so that I can stop her."

"Do you really think you can just show up and she'll leave with you? She won't–"

"Pam. What train?" She sighs and I can hear the wheels turning in her evil mind debating whether she should tell me or not. "PAM!"

"She's going to hate me for telling you."

"If I promise you that she won't will you tell me, please?"

"She's going to Gothenburg." _Göteborg?_ _That's a three hour trip._

"Thank you." I hang up before she can utter another word.

I check out the boards to see where the train to Göteborg is boarding and what time the next one leaves. _Five minutes_? I only have five minutes to find her and convince her to stay with me. I run as fast as my legs will carry me, almost knocking a few people over in the process, and come to a screeching halt when I see her. She's sitting at a bench with a dark haired, scruffy looking guy who has his arm around her. Just seeing him playing with her hair, touching any part of her makes me go nuts. I'm glued to the floor because I know if I approach her–them–I'll kill the bastard. My hands ball into fists at my sides, clenching until my knuckles go white. I have to calm down. I can't talk to her when I'm like this.

_Four minutes._

She turns and looks over her shoulder. She seems so relaxed, happy, casual. Not like she was just a while ago. She couldn't wait to get away from me to meet this, this Asshole guy. She sees me and looks surprised. Not angry in the least but I'm sure she can tell I am livid. She pats Asshole's back and he moves his arm, letting her hair fall from his fingers. She whispers something in his ear and he looks back at me. He stands as soon as she does, but she hustles over to me while he picks up their bags.

_Three minutes_.

"Eric, what are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"That's not important right now. I'm here. I came to beg. Gå inte. Please? Don't go."

"I, um… why?" It's now or never Northman.

"I love you Sookie. I do. I know we haven't known each other for very long but you can't deny there's something between us; something that is so powerful–"

"Stop, just stop! I can't do this right now. I need to get away from you, for a while. I need time to think. I just need to think."

"That right there should tell you something. Why are you running away from what you feel? You know how I feel about you and I know you feel something too. Come back to my flat with me. I have a spare bedroom. I won't kiss you again, I won't move to touch you or be close to you. I want you around. Let's just see where it takes us. What do we have to lose?"

"But Pam–" I laugh. I can't help it.

"Sookie, Pam will be okay. _Trust me_. She wants you to be happy and she's okay with this, with us. I just need to know that you are too. Please, just come with me so we can talk. I'll make you breakfast for dinner." _I'm pulling out all the stops now._

_Two minutes_.

"Eric, I really can't do this right now. I have to go." I reach out to grab her arm, turning her to face me. That familiar spark runs between us. I know she can feel it because she jerks but doesn't pull away when I touch her. That is all I want–a chance, hope, something tangible. I move in a little closer to whisper in her ear.

"Sookie, look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel something when I touch you. That you didn't just feel **that** between us. Tell me you don't want me to kiss you right now."

"I don't–" I can't let her say the words that will crush me so I silence her with a kiss.

Softly, I brush her lips hoping she won't push me away. Then I feel her lean into me. She parts her lips and my tongue finds its way in, tasting every inch of her sweet mouth. She moans into my mouth and I pull her a little closer. I need to feel her against me, know this is real, this is right. She abruptly pulls away and runs the back of her hand across her mouth. I've seen her do that before. The glazed over look in her eye is all I need to cement what I know is between us.

_One minute_.

Asshole walks a little closer and calls out to her. I hear the announcement for the boarding of her train and I know she does too.

"Sookie! Sweetie, we're boarding. We have to go."

"I'll be right there, Alcide. Eric, I have to go."

"Don't go! Don't… if you go with him, I'll…" I stop myself because what I'm about to say, it's not true. I will be here waiting for her. I would wait forever for her. I don't want to give Asshole any leverage over me in this situation.

"I'm going, Eric. I'm sorry, but I'm going. I have to."

"_FUCK_! Sookie wait, please!"

Asshole comes over and takes her hand. He has the audacity to smile at me. The next time I see him, I promise to knock that fucking smile off his face. She walks away with him and boards the train, but not before looking back at me with tears in her eyes. I'll never forgive myself for making her cry. Though I know she can't hear me, I say what is in my heart, what I need her to feel. "Jag låter dig aldrig gå."

I watch the train pull out of the station until it disappears from view. I've made a complete ass out of myself begging her not to leave and look at where I am. Alone. My five minutes have come and gone, and so has Sookie.

"Pam! Where are you?"

"Right where you left me asswipe. What you do want? Is Sookie with you?" She looks hopeful that I've actually brought her back with me. _I wish._

"No, she left with Asshole."

"His name's Alcide."

"I know what the fuck his name is but I choose to call him Asshole, with a capital A. Pam, I need you to help me. I have to get her back."

"Why would I help you? I want her for myself."

"Yes, but you're not being realistic." She smacks my arm.

"I hate you."

"Yeah, and I love you too. So will you help me or not?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then I guess I'll have to help your pathetic ass. So does this means we're going to Gothenburg." Damn straight.

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A/N: Thanks again to the wonderful **frlarsson **for being my expert on all things Swedish. And I have to thank my second set of eyes **Suaru-chan**. Can't thank you enough! The next chapter should be up soon. I already have it written, but am tweaking it a little. Let me know what you think Pam and Eric are going to do. xoxo

Translations:

Gå inte – Don't go

Jag låter dig aldrig gå – I won't ever let you go


	7. Day 4

Day 4

He **so** had me at, "Don't go." I did anyway. I regret it now, especially after that kiss, but Alcide did come all this way for me. How ungrateful would I have been to not spend at least a little time with him? He's a great guy, I can't deny that. He's not pressuring me to do anything and we're having a good time. I had to get away, but I _really_ miss Eric. I'm not sure if what he said about Pam being okay with everything is true, but I can't wait to find out. And, he said he loved me. I couldn't have heard that right, could I? _"I love you Sookie. I do. I know we haven't known each other for very long but you can't deny there's something between us…"_ No, I didn't hear that right. Who am I kidding? I heard him and wanted to squeal, and jump up and down, and clap, and hug him and maybe even say it back. Yeah, right. I was soooo not going there.

At least the day with Alcide had been great. We took a tour in a really cool open-topped boat, called a Paddan boat, that traveled through an old moat and a few canals around Gothenburg. It was absolutely beautiful. Oh, and I learned that the Swedish pronunciation of Gothenburg is _Göteborg._ Won't Eric be impressed? Shit, there I go thinking about him again.

I'd never seen so many bridges in my life. There was one called "the cheese slicer" because it's so low it's like, well… a cheese slicer. I was a little worried about Alcide being clipped in the head because he's so tall, but he came out the other side unscathed. We laughed at the close call he had and I felt like we may have bonded a little. I noticed I didn't pull away when he put his arm around me, pulling me into his side. It was comforting and I think I needed that.

There were so many different castles and other cool buildings to look at. There was no way to take it all in without looking like a tourist. I was so pissed I'd forgotten my camera. Oh, well… There was one place that really caught my eye and I know my mouth didn't close until we'd sailed past it. The _GöteborgsOperan_ or Gothenburg Opera for us English speaking persons, was just breathtaking. Very modern design, and just beautiful. I had no words hence my gaping open-mouth stare. I decided then that I really needed to get out more often.I had no idea there was an opera house here and I would love to go but the more I thought about it the more I really couldn't wait to get back to Stockholm. I couldn't help but think of wanting to experience this trip with Eric.

Back to our day of fun. Let's see, we did a lot of walking and shopping. We ended up at a shopping district called Nordstan. I can't say that we have anything like it in Bon Temps and I was in shopping heaven. Two avenues of shops, bars and restaurants spanning two floors, and I stuck to H&M. What can I say–I love their clothes. I never get a chance to go shopping because I'm always working and I was definitely taking advantage of this trip.

Alcide didn't complain once when I asked him to hold things or sit and wait while I tried a few outfits on. He was very helpful in the decision making process, if you can call being flustered when I asked what he thought about something, helpful. I caught him staring a few times and wiping the drool from his chin. I have to admit, I felt like I looked good in the outfits I tried on when he did that. He never said anything one way or the other because he was in 'shock.' I laughed it off because I thought it was really sweet. I didn't want him to put too much into my response. I kind of think he thinks I'm beautiful. Then a nagging voice in the back of my mind said, _"Eric thinks you're beautiful, and he loves you too."_ I promptly told that voice to shut the fuck up and let me have some fun. I haven't heard a peep out of it since.

Once we got back to the hotel, I felt like we'd walked around for hours–which is exactly what we did. Aside from the boat tour we walked everywhere we could possibly walk. We talked about everything (except for our love lives, thank goodness) and he really kept my mind off of Eric. I didn't want to think about him anyway. I wanted to have a good time with a great guy, which I was.

After all of the walking we did, I sort of complained about my feet hurting. Maybe too much. I couldn't help it. I was _trying_ to get a foot rub out of the deal. Alcide suggested we go back to the hotel where he offered to rub my feet. His suggestion played right into what I wanted to do anyway, so of course I agreed and he came back with me to my room. But then everything kind of went downhill from there.

"Wow, I didn't know there'd be so much to see here. I mean, when Pam and I visited we hardly did any sightseeing."

"You didn't go out at all when you were here last?"

"No, we just kind of did our own thing. To be honest, I didn't see her the entire week we spent in Stockholm. I was surprised she knew when our flight was leaving and made it back to the room to pack. I never did find out what she did all week."

There was no way I was going into that story. Plus, I haven't told Alcide that I want to go back to Stockholm yet, and I'm not sure how to break it to him. I don't think he'll be upset, but I'm sure that I would be if I were him. What a mess I've gotten myself into. I sit down on the edge of the bed to remove my shoes when he stops me.

"Let me help you with that." He picks up one of my feet and removes my shoe placing it just under the bed before turning the do the same thing to the other foot. I know I moaned out loud just to have my feet free of those damned things. "Feel good?"

"Mmm hmm…" I nod to make sure he knows I'm saying yes.

His fingers begin to work magic on my poor tired feet. I get so comfortable I lay back on the bed while he kneels at the foot of the bed, taking his sweet time rubbing my pain away. He is very thorough. He starts at the heel of my foot, paying lots of attention to my arch, then works his way up to my toes. Once he reaches my toes I know I cry out. I can't help myself. That shit feels incredible. It's probably the second most erogenous zone on my body and I am not letting that little nugget slip out. Boy, if he only knew…

I close my lips as tightly together as I can to keep stifle my moans. _Hell if that works_. He's working my toes between his fingers like a professional and I can't keep quiet. I think I hear him chuckle at my enjoyment. He finishes with my toes and uses his thumbs on the top of my foot, inching toward my ankle.

"Oh God, that feels so good… unh…" I _really_ did not mean for that to come out.

"I'm glad I can help. One of my gifts that not too many people know about. Are you relaxed?"

"Very. You keep that up I might go to sleep on you."

"We can't have that now can we? Still have to get some food in you. How about you tell me some more about that guy at the train station?"

"Oh, uh… Eric."

"I tried to give you your privacy at the station, but I saw him kiss you. Is he your boyfriend?"

"No, not my boyfriend." _Forget that I want him to be._

"An ex then?"

"Not quite an ex."

"Should I be concerned?" I sit up leaning on my elbows for support.

"Concerned? What would you be concerned about?"

"Well, since we're being so honest with one another I feel I can tell you this. I like you Sookie and I know you'll be coming back to the States soon. I was hoping maybe I could see you again. Maybe go out to dinner or something?"

"Oh. You know, I um, ooh, that feels incredible. Um, wait–what were you saying?"

"Should I be concerned? I'm up for a little friendly competition. That is, if you don't mind having two men vying for your affections."

"First, Eric isn't vying for… ooh. Um, I really would rather we not, uuh… and you say you're a writer? You should definitely be a professional masseuse. Listen, I… Eric is–"

"He's what you needed a distraction from?" I can only nod. "Well how am I doing so far, distracting you?"

"Fucking fantastic! Except that now we're talking about him and I'm so confused and I really just want to _not think_. About anything. For a while." _Shit, I'm worked up right now._

"Okay. Well, how about I tell you a little more about myself and you can just listen. No thinking involved." Another nod. "Well, I'm not dating," he chuckles wryly. "My last relationship ended about three months ago. Her name is Debbie. I figure I should tell you that since I know Eric's name. Um, I was with Debbie for a few years. I thought about marrying her but in the end I'm glad I didn't get the chance to propose to her. I thought she was the one but she was a little on the crazy side. Nothing to worry about but she'd fly off the handle at the slightest thing and I just didn't have time for that. You know what I mean?"

I sober up for a minute thinking about my ex, Bobby. "Yeah, I think I do."

"So anyway, that was probably the longest relationship I've ever been in. She helped me with my writing career more than she knows. The reason I started writing was because of the crazy shit she pulled. I couldn't believe some of the things we went through and had to start writing them down. Some of her tantrums were just so out there that I didn't think anyone would believe I wasn't making it up. I kept going over my notes and somehow managed to put together a relationship book. The funny thing is she's read it and loved it. Has no idea that she's the crazy behind the whole thing but I guess that should have told me something too. What I'm getting at Sookie is that I understand if you and Eric had a thing and you're trying to get over him. But I meant what I said before. I want you to be comfortable with me and I want to get to know you better. We'll take it as slow as you want. I just want to know if I have a chance."

"I can't really answer that because I don't know what I want. That's the whole problem. I like spending time with you, I mean today has been amazing, but I'm fighting with wanting to go back and talk to Pam. She's with or at least she _was_ with Eric and now he wants to be with me. It's a complicated situation."

"Well, I have another foot to rub so why don't you tell me all about it and I'll see if I can help?" He is too good to be true. _And_ he gives a great foot rub. There's got to be a catch. Ah, yes. The crazy ex-girlfriend.

"Okay. I guess I can do that. Maybe talking it out with someone who's not involved will give me a different perspective on everything." He nods to get me to continue.

I gave in. I kind of had to. I would have done anything while he rubbed my feet. I told him the whole sordid tale about my vacation with Pam, meeting Eric, 'spending time' with Eric and his dating Pam. He seemed really intrigued by the whole story and looked so reassuring. His green eyes would sparkle when the light hit them just the right way. His deep, rough laugh washed over me, relaxing me further. I kept thinking how cute his dimples were and how much I liked seeing him smile just to catch a glimpse of them. Even talking about Eric I wondered about taking Alcide up on his offer. I was going home after all. We could meet up and go out for dinner sometime or something. He does have a beautiful smile.

But Eric's kiss. When Eric touches me, I feel something. I'm not sure what it is but there's something there. Alcide's been rubbing my feet for at least forty minutes now and there's been no jolt of electricity at all. That doesn't mean anything though, does it?

I think I'm even more confused now than I was to begin with. I brought this all on myself. I know exactly what Gran would say. She'd tell me to give Alcide a shot seeing as he's unattached. But I kind of have to wonder about his ex, Debbie. Crazy and I don't get along and I'd hate to have to deal with someone's crazy ass ex-girlfriend who can't let go.

"So listen, I was thinking of cutting our time short here and heading back to Stockholm." I pause to gauge his reaction.

"You want to go back because of that guy, Eric, right?"

"Um, well–"

"It's okay if you do, Sookie. I just want you to know I'm a patient man. I know you wanted me to be a distraction, which I hope I was, and now that you've had time to think… What I mean is, I hope you've come to a decision about what you want and that you'll share that with me. No pressure, of course." He smiles and I laugh. He has a way about him that makes me comfortable. It could be the effect of the foot rub too. Which reminds me…

"I think I need to get up because I'm too comfortable here and I um..."

"That's probably the best compliment you could give me. So you really want to head back…?"

"Yeah, I want to go back because of Eric. I need to talk to him and my best friend before I can decide on anything. I don't want to lead you on, Alcide. I like you, I do, but I'm not ready to hop into anything. I hope you can understand."

"I do understand and thank you for being honest and upfront with me. But you should know that anywhere you wanted to lead me, I would happily follow. I'm here for you, in any capacity. You want to be friends; I'm cool with that. You want to be more; I'm cool with that, too. We can take things as slowly as you need. I won't press you. I just want to spend time with you, Sookie. I'll take it any way that I can."

Well, what do I say to that?

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A/N: Just want to give a quick thanks to everyone who reviews, puts this story on alert, adds it as a favorite, and adds me as a favorite. I heart you all, very much and you keep me writing. I love answering your questions and replying to reviews. So don't be shy…

Thanks again to the lovely ladies who help me out when I need it–**frlarsson** (expert in all things Swedish) and **Suaru-chan** for her expert eyes. I'm much obliged. So, what should Sookie do? xoxo

In case you want to see the opera house Sookie was referring to, here's the link to Gothenburg opera house http:/en(dot)opera(dot)se/om-oss/om-operahuset/


	8. Day 5

**A/N:** Quite note: **AshleySue** I was gonna do it but changed my mind at the last minute. **Carlisle's grl**, I went with my first instinct, which just so happens to be what you wanted to see. Hope you like it! Thanks **Suaru-chan **for looking this over for me!

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Eric's POV

We needed to come up with a plan and Pam was all over it. She booked our train tickets and sat me down to go over what we should do. We couldn't get a train out the same day, but we would be leaving on the first one tomorrow. I just hoped nothing happened between Sookie and Alcide before we could get to them.

"First things first, I should talk to her before you do."

"What?"

"Trust me. I need to tell her how I feel before you go all Conan the Barbarian and throw her over your shoulder or some shit. Let me talk to her, tell her how I feel and we'll go from there. If she tells me there's no way she sees me like that, then you can swoop in all 'knight in shining armor'. But if she's open to hearing me out, you have to back off."

"Yeah, I'm not liking this plan. I think I should talk to her first. Maybe she'll be so over men that she'll run into your open arms. That would work out for you much better I think." I couldn't help but laugh.

"You think this is a joke? You think my feelings and emotions don't matter right now? You can kiss my ass, Eric."

"Been there, done that, Pamela. And I must say you quite enjoyed it too."

"Okay, since you want to be a wise ass I'll tell Sookie…"

"You'll tell Sookie what?"

"Don't worry about it. I promise it'll be good though." I didn't like the look in her eye but I knew I had to play nice to get Pam to back off.

"I'm sorry Pam. I was rude. I shouldn't make fun of you like that, but you have to realize Sookie probably won't want to go there with you. I'm just pointing it out. You do what you will but I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

"Whatever. Just shut the fuck up."

After yesterday's conversation, I didn't think Pam would be too keen on the teaming up idea. But she hadn't said a negative word all day. In fact, she hadn't said much of anything to me. That in itself was a big surprise. I couldn't stand the idea of not being in the same city as Sookie for too long and was glad we had no issues at the train station. Three hours I'd have to sit with a brooding Pam. Yes, she is brooding. I never thought I'd say those words in reference to Pam, but here we are.

We make to Göteborg without killing one another. I still wasn't sure what Pam had in her bag and I was dying to ask her.

"Pam, why did you pack a bag?"

"That's for me to know and Sookie to find out."

"Okay. I'm guessing it has something to do with your confession?"

"Fuck off, Eric. I'm not in the mood for your shit. I'm… I'm nervous."

"You, nervous? I can't believe that. Pam I've seen you go up against some of the meanest men in the world and Sookie is making you nervous?"

"It's not Sookie; it's her reaction to my being in love with her. So yes, I'm nervous. All of your bullshit has eaten away at me and I'm beginning to think you may be right. I know she's not into women and I just want… anyway, I'm nervous so shut it."

I left her alone until we got to one of the hotels we thought she might be staying in. I wasn't sure if Sookie told Pam which one she would be in but we were willing to go to each one until we found her.

"Hey, I have an idea. How about I just call her to see where she is?"

"Don't do that. We're supposed to be surprising her. If you call she'll know we're here then that ruins the whole surprise. This was your plan remember, Pamela?"

"I'll forgive for that this one time but you know better than to call me Pamela, fuckface."

"Ooh, I haven't heard that one from you before. I think I like it."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going to find a restroom. I'll be right back."

Pam saunters off on her five inch heels–I still don't know how she walks in those things–and I sit at a bench to wait for her. Five minutes pass and I start to get worried. It doesn't take her that long to primp and I get a bad feeling. After ten minutes I call her cell. She doesn't answer. After another three minutes, she saunters back to me with a huge smile on her face. I think I know why.

"Tell me what you said to her. And I want to know everything. Don't keep anything out. Pam? All of it. Now."

"Fine. It won't make a difference though." She takes a deep breath before spilling their conversation. I know why she didn't want to tell me she was going to call Sookie. Fucking shit!

"Sookie where are you?"

"Hello, Pam. I'm just pulling into Stockholm. Why?"

"What? Why? Shit. Eric isn't going to like this."

"Wait, you didn't get my message? I called you last night and left you a message saying I'd be coming back today to talk to you and Eric."

"No! No I didn't get any message. Are you sure you called? I mean you could have dreamed you called because you're having such a fucktacular time with Asshole."

"I'm sorry, what's with the name calling? And I did leave you a message. I'm pretty sure I did."

"Well, Sookie that doesn't matter now since Eric and I are in Gothenburg and you're in STOCKHOLM!"

"Don't yell at me. It's not my fault you two decided to–wait why are you in Gothenburg? Were you following me? Pam?"

"No. Listen, I don't know how long we'll be but don't go anywhere okay. Go to my place and wait for me there. They know who you are at the front desk and they can let you in. please, just go to my apartment and wait for me."

"Is it okay if Alcide's with me?"

"No, it's not okay. Sookie, have you fallen and bumped your head? Tell him you'll see him later or something. Promise me you'll wait for me."

"I'll wait. I guess I'll talk to you later then."

"Yes. Good. Okay I'll see you soon."

"You knew she wasn't here, didn't you?"

"You jackass! I missed her call last night or whenever the hell she called. This is all your fault!"

"My fault? Oh no! I don't think you can blame this on me. We need to cut that blame game bullshit out right now. She called YOU and YOU missed her. Not me. Let's stop arguing about this and get back on the train. You're giving me a headache." I had to rub my temples to ease the pressure in my head.

"I'll give you a real headache and it won't be the one above your shoulders. Ass!"

"You know, Pam. If you keep flirting with me like you are, I'm going to think you still love me. You better tell me now if you do." I couldn't stifle my laughter. I knew it would get her all riled up too.

"This is your fault because you are the reason she came here in the first place. If it wasn't for you she'd still be in Stockholm at my apartment."

"Right. I love how you can shirk off the responsibility of this whole mess on me. Did you forget the way you reacted when she told you about us? Oh yeah, how convenient for you? I wish I had selective memory too."

"What time is the next train so I can get away from you? You're annoying the hell out of me and I don't want to be upset when I talk to Sookie."

"You mean when WE talk to Sookie."

"No, I said it correctly. You're not to set foot in my apartment when we get back. I need to talk to her alone and that's what I'm going to do. If she wants to talk to you afterward, so be it. You're the one who told me to tell her how I feel about her and now you want to fuck it up for me."

"What I think is you're trying to cockblock me. Don't think I don't see what's going on here. So what, you'll talk to her and try to get her to forget about me?" I laugh loud and heartily. She can't think that shit's going to work.

"Don't worry about what I'm planning. Just know that while I have her alone you can take care of Asshole."

"Hey, stop using my nickname for him."

"You can't call dibs on a nickname, Eric. I'll call him whatever I want. Right now, I feel like calling him Asshole and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Do we have to sit together on the train? I think I might kill if you if I have put up with your bullshit for the next three hours. And to think I still wanted to be friends with you."

"Aww… you want to be friends with me? Even after all of this mess?"

"Fuck you, Pam. You know you can't live without me. You can't drive in Stockholm without me so let's rethink your logic here."

"Whatever."

"That's what I thought. I want to talk to her first."

"NO. Not until after I do. That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

"I'll only agree to it if you promise me that when she tells you she wants to be with me, you don't give her shit about it. You know she doesn't want to hurt you and it would kill her to have to decide between you or me."

"I know that. I'll think about it. I can't make you any promises. But I'll think about it. I'll try to think about it. We've got three hours."

"That's all I can ask. Thank you, Pam. I mean it. I know this is hard for you too. We want Sookie to be happy and she would be happy with me. I can promise you that. And look on the brightside, you and Felicia already have a rapport with one another if you ever need to stroke your woman love desires."

"Fuck off, Eric. Don't make me tell Sookie what I know about you? You slut!"

"You wouldn't dare?"

"You wanna try me?"

She is going to fuck me over. I just know it. I have to get to Sookie first. Then the only other obstacle that stands in my way is Asshole.


	9. Day 5 Part 2

A/N: A special thanks and big fat I heart you goes out to **Suaru-chan** (beta extraordinaire) and **tracee40** (beloved reader and sharer of my brain). These two ladies are awesome and helped me more than you'll ever know with this chapter. But, I got it finished and I hope you like it.

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**Sookie POV**

"Well hello, Sookie." I'm not sure why, but she's sporting a big Cheshire cat grin on her face. This is devious Pam, for sure.

"Pammie! How did you get here so fast?" I walk over to give her a hug and she almost doesn't want to let go when I pull back.

"I flew, naturally," she says with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, Pam this is Alcide. He's waiting here until his flight leaves. I didn't want him sitting alone in the airport for hours and told him he could keep me company while I waited for you. I hope that's okay?"

"Hi, Alcide."Her eyes rake over him slowly.

I never thought I'd see Pam blush, but the way she looked at Alcide made me… jealous? Huh. Her eyes rake him over at least twice before she looks into his eyes again. She pulls her bottom lip in between her teeth and shoots him a wink.

"It's so good to meet you, Pam. Sookie's told me a lot about you." Alcide looks between Pam and I before settling on me.

"All good things, I hope?" She takes a step closer to him.

"Of course." He smiles politely and looks to me for help.

I sigh and step between the two.

"Pam, where's Eric? I thought you two were together?"

"No need to worry about him right now. _We_ need to talk." She looks pretty serious so she must mean business. "Alcide, would you excuse us for a moment? We'll be right back." Not waiting for a response from Alcide, she grabs my arm and drags me back to her bedroom.

"Pam, you haven't answered any of my questions and you're being rude!"

"I told you we needed to talk and it has to be done without an audience." Her head snaps up at the sound of the front door slamming shut and the look on her face is one of pure terror. Her eyes are darting wildly and she's wringing her hands together nervously. "Fuck! Okay, listen I need to tell you—"

"Pamela! Get your ass out here right now!" Eric's voice booms through the apartment.

"Please, Sookie. Before we go back out there you need to know that I love you. I didn't want to do things this way but Eric is forcing my hand and I can't let him have you. I thought I could do it but I really can't I mean I've known you longer and met you first and that's what matters, right? You understand that I would do anything for you and I want you to be happy? I would never hurt you Sookie; you have to believe that above anything. Just remember that I love you."

She's so frazzled; her words come out in a rush. I've never seem Pam so, so… un-Pam-like. I don't know how else to explain it. She's always so calm and cool and take charge about everything. Now, I wouldn't be able to say that about her. She's frantically pacing the room while she speaks—her hands still wringing together, her voice getting so low it's almost as if she's mumbling to herself. I can barely keep up with everything she's saying to me.

She stops suddenly and reaches out to grab my arm—her voice wavers, her glassy blue eyes staring straight through to my soul.

"Tell me that you understand. Tell me that you love me too…"

"I know you love me, Pam and I do love you, but I _don't_ understand."

"Don't you get it? I _love_ you, Sookie," she says with heavy emphasis on love, but I got that part.

I must be missing something. I shake my head, chuckle and look at her waiting for her to explain. She looks at me with wide eyes. As the realization of what she's just said comes to me, I blink, suck in a deep breath and mouth the words, "Oh…shit."

Then she does something I will never forget. She grabs the sides of my head and pulls me in for a kiss. A toe-curling kiss at that. Her lips are very soft and warm against mine. She applies very little pressure and nips at my bottom lip. I feel her tongue slide along my upper lip as she sucks my bottom lip into her mouth. Her fingers weave through my hair and she pulls gently on the loose tendrils hanging over my shoulders. The sensation is nice and I can't help moaning as her tongue brushes mine. I've never kissed a girl before, but Pam knew exactly what she was doing.

Her hands drift down from the side of my face, to my back and I shiver at her touch. Her left hand stops at the small of my back, pulling my body closer to hers. Her right hand moves up and down in a soothing motion. I know we shouldn't be doing this, but I can't seem to break away. I'm completely caught up in the moment. As my mind clouds over, Pam's left hand continues its way down to my ass. She grabs a cheek and squeezes just so, and I can't help but squeal and jerk in response. She moans, her tongue searching the inner recesses of my mouth, and bites down on my bottom lip. Her hand keeps squeezing and my hips jerk forward again. Then I think about what this all means and I sober up quickly. I pull away to separate our lips but she doesn't let go of my ass.

"Pam, what… when… why haven't you told me? I really don't understand—"

"What, that I want to fuck you? Sookie, you're beautiful, funny, vivacious. Why wouldn't I want to get in your pants? Every guy you meet wants to do the same. Look at Alcide. So, why not me?"

"Why not you? Why not you? Because _you_ are my best friend. _You_ are a female, like me and _you are __**not**_a lesbian. Pam I've known you for how many years now? I've never once seen you bat an eye or ogle some girl's breasts. Wait, are you coming out to me and you thought this would be the best way?"

"No! I'm not a lesbian. Why does everyone keep saying that? I just want you. I don't know what it is but I think, no—I know that I want you. But more than sex, I want to be with you like we used to be. Just us. No assholes to come between us. And then we give each other orgasms." _Fuck. Me._

"You cannot be serious. I'm not bisexual. I don't look at you that way. I don't—"

"Sookie, look at me. I just had my tongue down your throat and groped your ass. You liked it. I dare you to deny it. Tell me I'm lying."

"No… you're not lying but I'm horny as hell and damn it you're a good kisser!" I say scrunching my face up in anger.

She smiles so brightly I'm sure I can see every single tooth in her mouth. Fucking cat that ate the canary look. I don't like how this is going at all.

"I knew it. Listen, we can make this work. It doesn't have to be anything conventional. We'll do what makes you comfortable. I want you to be comfortable with this… with me."

"I can't, Pam. I just can't. I want Eric. I'm sorry, but I do. Nothing is going to change my mind about that." Her face drops and I feel like shit. I'm hurting my best friend and that's the last thing I'd ever want to do. Even though she just dropped an atomic-fucking-dirty-hydrogen bomb on me. Talk about apocalyptic.

"What if I told you he wasn't who you thought he was? Would that make you change your mind?"

"You know something about Eric that I don't? You would actually stoop so low to hurt me so that I won't be with him? Is that what this is about? You don't want me to have him so you concoct this, this ruse because you know I still have feelings for him? Pam, I'm sorry about the way that I feel. I'm sorry I met Eric before you did. I'm sorry that I left him the way I did because we wouldn't be in this predicament right now, but it's done and I'm done trying to make everyone happy because it's apparent that I can't. I just can't believe you would do this to me. Doesn't our friendship mean anything to you?"

Tears fall from Pam's eyes and I don't think I can muster up the emotion to care. This is just unreal. She doesn't want me to be with him. That's the only thing I can think of. She still loves him. I can't say that I blame her, but to be so vindictive and try to manipulate me. To kiss me like that knowing I wouldn't return her affections? I'm baffled and throw up my hands in defeat. I don't know if I can forgive her for this.

"Don't say that Sookie. You know our friendship is everything to me. This isn't a ruse—it's how I feel and if you can't see that then you're not worth his or my time." She pauses for a beat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. There really is something you should know and he's not going to tell you that he's—"

"Um, stop. Just stop, Pam. I don't want to hear another word from you. In fact, I think maybe I should get Alcide and just leave. I don't want to be here anymore. And this is not me running. This is me saying no and goodbye. You can't drop something like _this_ on me and expect me to be okay with it. That's not what friends do to one another. Not like this." My words are barely above a whisper. I don't really know what to say.

She grips my arm as I turn to walk away. "You can't run away from this. He'll hurt you and I'm only trying to protect you. He doesn't give a shit about you, you stubborn bitch!" Her voice gets louder toward the end of her sentence.

"Pam, I've had enough of this! Let go!" I push her off me as I hightail it out of there, heading for the front door. She falls back onto the bed as I slam her bedroom door behind me. I barely hear her choked sob as I make my escape.

"Sookie, wait! Please, I'm sorry!"

This is not going well at all.

In my haste I almost run straight into Alcide. It's possible the tears blurring my vision prevented me from seeing him, too.

His back is to me as he stands facing Eric in what appears to be a _standoff_, but I hadn't heard any commotion when I came into the hall. Alcide turns around and puts his arms out to stop me from barreling into him. I run the back of my hands across my face before looking up. My eyes meet Eric's and my heart flutters. That's a good sign, right?

Eric looks me over and about three emotions flash across his face before they are replaced with a blank stare. He completely shuts down and is void of anything. His hair looks tousled but so does Alcide's (although that's his usual appearance). I can just imagine the two of them running their hands through their hair in frustration while staring each other down. I hope I didn't walk in on something that was going to escalate into violence. I couldn't handle that. Not now.

"Uh, thanks. Hey, Eric! I see you and Alcide have been introduced? Ha, ha!"

That was not supposed to be a question. I laugh out of pure delirium. My emotions are all over the place. I'm glad that Alcide is here. I hate to use him as a buffer, but with the way things are going… I'm happy to see Eric. Ecstatic even, though he doesn't look too happy. My nervous smile spreads across my face as he looks me over again and I know he can tell something's wrong. I put my hands up to my lips wondering if they're red and puffy from Pam's kiss. It got pretty hot and heavy for a minute there. Eric shifts his weight from foot to foot before looking over at Alcide.

"Yes, I've met Rövhål," he says with a smirk. His eyes narrow as he glares at Alcide.

"It's Alcide." Eric just shakes his head as Alcide corrects him.

"Yeah, like I said, Rövhål. Sookie, can we talk in private?" I nod almost enthusiastically. I probably look like a bobble-head. I agree we need to talk, but I don't think I can handle being alone in a room with him right now. Not after Pam. I smooth my hands over my hair and run them down my face hoping to rub away my stress. Eric approaches me with a serious expression and I feel really nervous all of a sudden.

"What is with the private conversations today? Alcide already knows everything." Eric looks pissed. I turn to see who he's glaring at.

"He knows what?" Pam says.

She walks towards us and I can't even look at her. Her eyes are red and puffy and she's clutching a rumpled tissue in her hand. Eric turns his attention to her. He looks very angry. I would not want to be on the other side of that stare.

"Did you think you were being funny? You know how long it took me to get out of that fucking precinct? If you ever pull some shit like that again…"

"Wait, what's going on here? Pam? Eric?" I ask looking back and forth between them. Alcide looks just as puzzled as I feel.

Eric takes a deep breath before he answers. "Pam here thought it was funny to have me detained by the police."

"He means, I got him arrested. I told the police he was stalking me. It was quite simple really. I think I may have a future in acting," Pam cackles and the sound is bitter and crude.

"I'm glad you find this funny, because I sure as hell don't," Eric bites at her.

I've never seen Eric this angry before. In fact, I've _never_ seen him angry. The time we spent together was, well… it was in bed, so there wasn't an opportunity for him to get angry about anything. It brings to mind just how little I know him, and what Pam said in her bedroom. But that doesn't change the way I feel about him.

"Okay, okay you two. I need you both to listen to me—"

"I'm sorry, Sookie, but I won't have a conversation with _him_ here. I just won't. Why is he here anyway?" Eric barks.

"Alcide is my friend and he helped me realize a few things. You should be a lot nicer to him. In fact, you both owe him an apology."

"Why?" Pam quirks an eyebrow

"Fuck that!" Eric yells.

"Okay, I've had enough. If this is how you want to play things, I'm going home. To Louisiana. I'm already packed so I might as well. I can't handle the fighting anymore." I throw my hands up and continue my march to the front door. Eric steps in front of me before I can reach the doorknob.

"I'm sorry, Sookie. Don't leave. We'll talk. You talk; I'll shut up and listen." Eric's face softens and he looks repentant.

"Is that all it takes to make you heel like a puppy, Eric? I couldn't get you to do that even after we fucked. You've got a gift, Sookie."

"Uh, okay. I don't know how else to say this, so I'll just say it. I'm going home. I came here to ask Pam if she would have a problem with Eric and I… being together… as a couple but I already know—"

"I do have a problem with it. I don't like the idea of it but as I told you, I want you to be happy. Just not with him." She jerks her head toward Eric. "Heck, I'd be okay if you hooked up with Alcide here. I think he's perfect for you. You don't have any baggage, right?"

"Let's keep him out of this, Pam. This is between us three. I still don't understand why he's here but if he must stay, I'd like to know why."

"Fine. During our vacation—which was lovely by the way, thanks for asking—he helped me to realize what I want, and it's you, Eric."

"I've always wanted you. You already know how I feel about you. I love you, Sookie."

"That's bullshit! You hardly even know her. You're worried that she might choose me. Just admit it, Eric."

"Pam, there's no way in hell. Sookie and I have a connection." He turns from her and looks me in the eye. "If you're willing Sookie, I want to try. I want to be with you. No matter the repercussions." He whispers that last part.

Alcide doesn't look too happy at Eric's declaration and Pam mutters something under her breath that I can't quite make out.

"I know no one asked me, but if I could say something?" All eyes turn to Alcide.

"No, you can't you, dynghög. I know you have a plane to catch, so why don't you leave now so you don't miss it. Here's cab fare." Eric throws a few bills at Alcide's feet.

"Eric!" I yell.

Pam just laughs.

"I need some air. I think I'll go with you to the airport, Alcide. I can't stand to be here one more minute."

Eric takes hold of my hand.

"Sookie. I won't let you run away from me again. This would be the third or fourth time. You walk away now, that's it. I won't chase after you. You want me, I want you, let's just do this. What do you say?"

What do I say? I want to say yes, but I can't do it. The look on Pam's face is killing me. Her eyes are pleading with me and I can't even go there. I know where Alcide stands and that's the only consolation in this whole mess. Then there's Eric. I look up at him and hope he can read the answer from my face. I don't know of any other way to convey what I want to him but to smile. I want him and we will be together. If I have to wait, then I'll wait. I'm patient. I don't know what I'll do about Pam though. Therein lays my dilemma. What should I do about Pam?

**Eric's POV**

I get to the apartment and who meets me at the door but Asshole. Why am I not surprised? I guess I should have known he'd be sticking around to see if he could put his bid in too. He proffers his hand—I glare at it, and then back at him. There's no fucking way I'm shaking Asshole's hand. No. Fucking. Way.

"What the fuck are you doing here and where are Pam and Sookie?"

"Nice to finally meet you, too. They just went back there somewhere to talk." Fuck!

I yell for Pam to get out here so we can do this out in the open. I can only guess what she's telling Sookie or what she's doing to her. I don't even want to think about that. I'm man enough to admit that I'm nervous that Pam could convince Sookie to see her side of things. I just don't want her to have the chance.

"Well, thank you for sticking around and making sure that Sookie made it back safely, but you can leave. Here, let me show you out." I grab his arm and shove him toward the door, but he doesn't budge. Motherfucker!

"You don't scare me, Eric. Sookie wants me here; I'm here until she says otherwise. You have a problem with that, take it up with her. Now I would appreciate it if you removed your hand from my arm before I remove it for you. I know she has a thing for you and I would hate to ruin our friendship because she's caught me kicking your ass. So please…"

Asshole seems to have a huge set of balls on him. And, I hate to admit it, a good point. I don't want to upset Sookie and her seeing the two of us fighting wouldn't help matters. I release his arm but I don't back away. I run my hand through my hair to keep from swinging on the smug bastard. He folds his arms across his chest and glares at me.

"You know you don't have a chance with her."

"I _don't_ know that, actually. I seem to be the only one here who's not pressuring Sookie one way or the other. I'll let her decide what she wants. You on the other hand, I don't think you can do that. You'll make her choose here and now. She's been fighting with this and it's killing her. If you cared about her, you would let her come back to the States with me so she can move on with her life."

"You don't know the first thing about me, Asshole. You spend a few days with Sookie and now you think you know her? I don't think so!"

"I know more than you think I do."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" The bastard just smiles at me.

I'd like to wipe that smile off his scruffy face. But before I can, Sookie stumbles from Pam's bedroom. _Pam's bedroom?_ She looks upset and isn't watching where she's walking. I watch her wipe her eyes. She must have been crying. I will fucking kill Pam if she hurt her.

Alcide turns to her before I can, and reaches out to keep her from barreling into him. I want to ask Sookie what happened with Pam but now is not the time. I want to take her in my arms and wipe away her pain. Looking her over I notice she appears flushed. I remember that look; she usually looked that way right after we'd kissed. I can't believe it! Pam actually put the moves on her. She's playing dirty. Not only did she call in a favor with her policeman friend to get me arrested, now she's kissing my woman. Sneaky bitch!

Pam finally makes an appearance and I can tell she's been crying too. I'm not sure what all happened in that bedroom, but I know I won't be happy when I find out. Maybe Asshole's right and she's under too much pressure right now. I can back off and I plan to, except she wants to be with me. Now the ball is in her court. I just hope she doesn't decide to run again. I can tell her that I won't chase her as much as I want to, but we both know the truth. I would follow her wherever she goes. The smirk she gives me lets me know I have nothing to fear. She pulls her hand away and takes a deep breath before speaking.

"Can I have a second?"

I nod and she walks Alcide out into the hall. I turn to Pam. I want answers.

"You kissed her?"

"And?"

"You didn't say anything about kissing. There was only supposed to be talking. If I pulled any of the shit you pulled today you'd be trying to kick my ass into next week."

"Don't think I still won't. Oh, and she loved it."

"What?"

"You heard me. She _looooovvvvvved_ it. If you hadn't come in when you did I could have—"

"Could have what?" Sookie asks. I'm glad she's come back (without Asshole) because I'd love to hear what Pam has to say.

"Nothing. Listen Sookie, you don't have to let Eric bully you into anything. It's okay if you want time to think about it."

"Why Pam, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried."

"Shut the fuck up, Eric. Sookie?" I manage to stifle a laugh.

"Pam, while you know I love you, I just don't love you like you want me to. You're my best friend and I need you in that capacity. I can't think of having you in my life any other way. I think you're beautiful and smart but I'm not attracted to you. You need to accept that I want to be with Eric. I understand if you won't support me in this, but I want you, need you to be my friend."

"I don't know if I can do that."

"Stop being a hard-ass, Pam. There's no reason why you two can't still be friends. There's no love lost between us. I want to be with Sookie as much as she wants to be with me."

"Oh, I don't know about that. She didn't stop me when I kissed her." The look on Sookie's face reminds me of a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Or should I say Pam wrapping her lips around the Sookie jar.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything, Pam. Eric and I—"

"You enjoyed it. Tell him how you moaned when I grabbed your ass." My cock twitches.

"Fuck me. Sookie? Is that true? Did you like it when Pam kissed you?" I ask her mockingly but I'd really like to know the answer.

The blush that spreads across her face does something to me. I have to adjust myself just thinking about her kissing Pam and enjoying it.

"It's okay to tell him how you ground your hips into mine, pressing yourself against me like a cat in heat. Knock that ego of his down a couple of notches. I was better than him, wasn't I?"

"I'm not doing this. I can't." Her face gets redder.

"My sweet, sweet, Sookie. I guess we do have a few things we still need to learn about one another," I laugh.

"It shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry I let things go as far as I did. I only came back in to let you know that I'm going home. I always planned to go back no matter what, so I'm just doing it sooner rather than later. I love you both. I have to go."

She presses her hand to mine and pulls away leaving me stunned. The shock hadn't worn off and before I could say anything, she was gone. Again. I clench my hand in anger and stop when I feel the crunch of paper in my palm. I tuck whatever Sookie has passed to me into my pocket and bow to Pam.

"It would seem that you have run her off again. I won't say I told you so, but I will say this—if I find out that you hurt her, you'll have me to deal with."

"I'd watch the threats, Eric. I still have my trump card. You want to test me, I'll pull it. Then we'll see who deals with whom."

"Fuck you, Pam."

I storm out of her place hoping to never have to set foot in it again. And here I thought we could still be friends. If that's the kind of friendship I have to look forward to, I don't want it. She set me up more than once and I almost lost Sookie because of it. When I get to the elevator, I pull out the piece of paper and read it.

_Please meet me at the airport. I'd hate to have to fly home alone._

A/N: Translations

Rövhål = asshole

Dynghög = pile of manure


	10. Day 6

**A/N: Sorry if I scared any of you with the last chapter. It was a beast to write and my mind is a sick, twisted place. To clarify a few things, Pam's not gay; I wouldn't even say she's bi. She has a thing for Sookie and it's hard to describe because she doesn't even understand it herself. She's confused as heck about it and it wouldn't even be an issue had the revelation about Sookie and Eric never come about. I went back and read a little to pick up the pieces I've laid out which show that. Pam says more than once, she's not gay and she gets jealous when she finds Sookie and Eric together all the time. Think about how she reacts when she found out Sookie and Eric slept together. She was pissed at Sookie because she feels Eric is hers. Anyway, just thought I'd put that out there. Hope this chapter explains a little more. Feel free to ask me questions, I love getting your thoughts! xoxo**

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**Pam POV**

I fucked up. I know I fucked up. I don't know what I was thinking or why I was thinking that bullshit would work with Sookie, but I had to try. I kissed her. I can't believe I grabbed her ass. Desperation is a real bitch. I want Sookie to keep her beautiful fucking mitts off Eric. He wants her, she wants him and I want them both. Okay, I want Eric and I tried my luck with Sookie but that didn't work. I can't give up on Eric. I tried to convince them _and_ myself that I wasn't interested in Eric, but we see how that turned out. Now she's pissed at me―and probably planning to file sexual assault charges against me―and Eric won't speak to me again. So what do I do now? How do I fix this mess I've created?

I can tell Sookie the truth. I could tell her that I was only joking when I kissed her and that I was trying to get her to admit something that I knew wasn't true. She probably won't believe that; hell I don't believe it and I'm the one thinking it up. She knows me too well. I was surprised when she called me out on not being a lesbian; although I'm not… a lesbian. I thought I was pretty convincing, but she managed to see right through my charade―to a point.

I'm a damned good liar though. I have them both fooled. Eric thinks I was fooling around with Felicia, which is so far from the truth. I've been working with her to plan Eric's birthday party next month and it seems that I may as well forget about it. Sookie thinks I'm off my rocker and in love with her, so that leaves Eric wide open. If she wants to, she can go after him―and I can't have that. Maybe I should just call her and see if she'll talk to me. I can apologize, tell her why I made such a fool of myself, and beg her forgiveness.

Fuck that. I'll call Eric and get him to come back over tonight. I'll explain to him and he'll forgive me. I only need him to believe that what I was doing was for him; because I love him. I mean, we were living together for crying out loud. Why would we have taken that step if things weren't serious between us? Sookie coming into the picture ruined things. He wouldn't have thought about her had he not seen her again. I just need to think. I can figure this out and fix it. I'll fix it and everything can go back to the way it was. I'll have Eric and Sookie can have Alcide. He's smitten with her, so that shouldn't be too much of a stretch. If left at their own devices, they would gravitate toward one another. I wouldn't have to do a thing.

I just need to think.

**Sookie POV**

I wait.

I pace.

I can't sit still. I don't know if Eric will show up. I can't say that I would blame him. That whole scene in Pam's apartment was a mess. I've never had to deal with such a fucked up situation before. _She's even got me cursing_! I send Alcide ahead of me because I want to face Eric alone. And in the event he doesn't show up… well, I want to save myself the embarrassment.

I finally sit down, placing my face in my palms to try and keep myself calm. I just cannot help thinking he hates me. I know I would be pissed as hell after what Pam pulled. He's being awfully calm about the whole thing. I'm sure he didn't want to cause a scene. _Yeah, right._

"Sookie." I hear my name about two inches from my ear and my head shoots up.

"Eric? I didn't think… I'm so happy that you showed up. What took you so long?" I laugh nervously.

He pulls me up and into his arms. We stare at one another for a while before he kisses me. This is what I wanted since I saw him again. I denied myself the right to have him because of Pam and now that I know she's a Bitch with a capital 'b', I feel bad for waiting so long.

"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. I had to pack, but I couldn't remember what the weather is like in Louisiana, so I just said fuck it and hopped in my car. I love you, Sookie. No matter what happened today or in the past, know that I love you and I want you. Pam can suck it!" We laugh before he crashes his lips to mine again.

"I'm just glad you're here now. I love you too, Eric. I wasn't allowing myself to feel that before now, but I do."

"And you've just made me the happiest man alive." I slide down his body and as my feet hit the floor he pulls me closer.

"Hey, were you able to get a ticket? I'd hate it if you had to wait for another flight. Hopefully we won't have any issues."

"Don't worry too much about that. I've waited this long for you that I won't let anything else come between us."

"Good to know. Now let's get the hell out of here. I keep waiting for Pam to show up with her big bag of crazy and I can't deal with her right now."

"I don't think we'll have any more problems out of Pam." _I hope he's right._

We make our way onto the plane and as Eric said, we don't have any issues being seated. We both have seats in first class, although they aren't together. He's able to bribe the guy sitting next to me to switch seats with him. I'm not sure what he says to him because it's in Swedish, but the guy moves like a fire is lit under his ass. I laugh to myself. Knowing Eric, he threatened the poor guy with a smile on his face. I don't care one way or the other because I never let go of Eric's hand the entire way home.

We land in Shreveport and that's when it hits me―I'm going home, with Eric.

_Gran! _

I didn't call her to let her know what was going on or anything. I feel like such a dunce but pull out my cell phone to dial the house before I do anything else.

"Hey, Gran. Um, I'm in Shreveport."

"Sookie honey! Why didn't you tell me you were coming back so soon?"

"I hadn't planned on it but, tada! Here I am."

"That makes me so happy honey, but how are you getting home from the airport?"

"I've got it covered. And, I have company. I wanted to let you know that my, uh… friend, Eric would be staying with us―if that's okay?"

"Friend, huh? Did you just meet him?"

"No, Gran I've known him for about a year now." I laugh.

"So… why is this the first time I've heard of him."

"It's not the first time you've heard of him. Remember when I called you a few days ago with the situation I had, with Pam and her boyfriend?" I lower my voice to a whisper because I don't want Eric to overhear.

"Oh. Oh… this is the young man that you met before and… oh my goodness! Well, it seems you worked things out then?" I can just picture the look on Gran's face and she's probably got the biggest smile stretched across it.

"Yes. So is it okay if he stays with us, at least until he can find a hotel or something?"

"Oh nonsense! He can stay as long as he's here. I don't have a problem with it. You know I used to be a young woman too. I'll have dinner ready for you two when you get here."

"Thanks, Gran. We'll see you in about an hour or so." I hang up and take a deep breath.

One crisis diverted. Now to get back to Bon Temps. _Jason_. My brother can be a real pain in the ass, but when I need him, he usually comes through. Sometimes.

We pull up to the house and I get nervous. I'm not nervous because of Gran, I'm nervous because I can't believe Eric's here. I feel like doing cartwheels, I'm so giddy. I take his hand as we walk up to the front door and Gran bursts through before I get to pull out my keys.

"Oh there's my sweetheart! You come here and give me a hug straightaway. Oh honey, you look beautiful. I'd say your vacation did you good." Once she lets go of me long enough to see there's someone else on the porch, she notices Eric behind me. "And this must be Eric. Well, I can see what all the fuss is about. You are quite the handsome young man. Come on and give me a squeeze."

Gran grabs him by the waist and does just that. She doesn't look it, but she's strong. The woman can hand out a hug that will leave you struggling for breath. I thought she was going to break my neck just now when she grabbed me.

"It's nice to finally meet you too, Adele." I schooled Eric on all things Gran during our flight.

"You call me Gran like everyone else does. No one's called me Adele except for my husband, God rest his soul. Come on in the house you two. I got dinner all ready and I know you have to be hungry."

"They do feed us on the plane, Gran. We're not starving."

"Airplane food, Sookie, is not good nourishment. You will sit down at the kitchen table and you will eat everything I put on your plate. Do you understand me young lady?"

"Yes, Gran. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset, I just know more than you. I didn't make it to a feisty seventy-five years young by chance. Now come on in here before everything gets cold."

From the look Gran is giving me, I know I better get my butt moving or she'll rip me a new one. Eric is just as sweet and follows right behind her like he's been here before. _Traitor_.

We sit down to a great dinner, which Jason sticks around for, and everyone gets to know each other better. Jason tries the whole protective older brother stuff and Gran politely questions Eric and threatens him to within an inch of his life should he ever hurt me. To which he replies, "I would rather die than hurt Sookie." I'm sold.

Eric and I help Gran clean up the kitchen while Jason steals off because he has a hot date―as usual. But he doesn't leave before asking me to bake him a cake now that I'm back. That's my brother for you.

All this talk of cake reminds me of the recipe I wrote down when I first met Alcide on my way to Sweden. Thinking of Alcide makes me look at Eric and wonder if I'm doing the right thing. We all have baggage, but the baggage between Eric and I is vicious. I shake my head because I shouldn't even be thinking about that. I'm with Eric and we'll see where things go.

My phone rings. _Speak of the devil._

"Hey, I'll be right back. I'm just going to take this in the other room." Eric nods and I shuffle off to the living room. "Hey, Alcide. Did you make it home okay?"

"I did. I was hoping to hear from you first though. When you didn't call I got worried."

"I'm sorry. My Gran kind of strong-armed me and I couldn't get away from her to call you."

"That's okay. As long as you're safe. I just needed to be sure you were fine. So, I know this probably isn't a good time, but did you come back alone?" I did not see that coming.

I hesitate before answering.

"No, Eric came with me. We have some things to work out but we're going to give it a try. See how things go, you know."

"Yeah. I understand, I just hoped there was a chance I could see you again." I can hear the sadness in his voice.

"Oh, now I feel like shit. I'm sorry, Alcide. I know the trip and our talks and all have been sudden and unfair of me but if you're asking me to choose―"

"No, no that's not my intention. You laid it all out there in the beginning so I knew what I was getting into, I just like to think optimistically. I want you to know that I'll always be here should you need me." Eric pops his head around the door jamb and smirks at me. I get a little weak in the knees just from the curve of his lips. I know it means trouble.

"I do know that, thank you. Listen I should go. I'll give you a call next week sometime to see how you are. Just because we're not dating doesn't mean we can't be friends, right?"

"Right. I'm happy to know you even if it's from a distance. I'll look forward to your call. Goodbye, Sookie."

"Bye."

"So was that Asshole?" Not this again. See, trouble.

"When will you quit that? He's my friend and he's not an asshole, he's very sweet."

"You may not think he's an asshole but I sure as hell do. And you're not allowed to think of another man as sweet. Come here."

"No. Gran is still awake, and we need to talk."

"She just told me to tell you goodnight because she's heading to bed. We can talk later. Come… here." He quirks an eyebrow at me in challenge.

"Fine," I grumble.

I take the two steps necessary to reach him and he pulls me into his arms. He holds me for a long time, nuzzling my neck and placing small chaste kisses in the hollow below my ear. I sigh in contentment and just hold on for as long as he'll let me. He kisses his way from my ear down my neck. I shiver in his grasp thinking about how long I've wanted to do this with him. That week in Stockholm was mind blowing. To know what he is capable of and to be able to experience it with him again is just…

"Eric, I need to know something."

"Hmm…"

"When you were with Pam, did you always use protection?"

"Of course. Actually, I got tested before you came out to visit her and I'm in the all clear. Nothing to worry about."

"Good. It's just, I was worried about you, considering Pam's extracurricular activities."

My question answered I pull Eric's face to mine so I can kiss him. Our kiss isn't rushed or fevered; it's slow and passionate. Eric's arms wrap around my waist and he squeezes me closer to him. I feel so safe wrapped in his arms. We grind into one another and moan at the friction we're causing in the front of our jeans. My panties are damp and Eric's clearly ready to be released from his confining zipper.

"God, Sookie. Where?"

"My bedroom's… back… ungh…" Eric picks me up and my legs wrap around his waist.

He latches onto my neck with his mouth and I try to guide him back to my room. He sucks harder at my neck and I moan louder. We crash into the wall in the hallway a few times before backing into my bedroom door. He reaches a hand behind him to turn the knob, kicking the door open with so much force it bounces shut. I laugh into his mouth as he kisses me again.

"Shh… you have to be quiet. We don't want to wake your grandmother."

"Wait, _you_ slam the door shut and you're telling _me_ to be quiet?"

"Yes."

"Then we probably shouldn't be doing this at all."

"Unh!" He grunts.

I look over at my bed and pray that the sheets are clean. Knowing Gran, they are―so I relax when Eric pulls back the comforter plopping me down in the center of the mattress. He looks me over before climbing onto the bed, resting on his forearms while hovering over me.

"Sookie, I've wanted you again since Pam and I picked you up at the airport. I may take my time. It's been a while since we were last together and I may need help remembering what you like."

"Whatever you do, I like. Nothing to remember."

He smiles before diving between my thighs, nipping at my mound through my jeans. I laugh because it tickles and he growls into my heated flesh before yanking at the button and zipper on my pants. He gets them open and starts pulling them down my hips. I lift up allowing him to pull them all the way off, along with my panties. He's wasting no time.

I chuckle, "What happened to you taking your time?" He tickles the area behind my knee.

"Oh, I'll have you begging me to make you come."

"That remains to be seen Northman."

He raises an eyebrow in challenge then dips his head between my legs. He uses slow, languid passes of his tongue on my nub and slit and every time I get close to the edge, he stops and smiles up at me. After the first two times I can't take it anymore. I grab two handfuls of his incredibly soft hair and tug at his head until he looks up at me.

"Now, Eric… please!"

"Are you begging?" He asks against my thigh.

"Yes, fuck yes I'm begging."

"What are you begging me for?"

"I'm begging you to make me come. Now!"

"As you wish min älskling, as you wish."

He hikes my legs over his shoulders and commences sucking on my nub. His tongue flicks it then slides down my slit only to flick at my nub again. My hips buck into his face and he begins to moan into my sex. The vibrations from his moaning are so powerful that I let go and come hard with Eric's name on my tongue. His hand flies up to my mouth covering it before I realize what I'm doing. Yeah, Gran's right across the hall.

"Good?"

"Yes, good… great… fantastic…" I say breathlessly.

He continues running his tongue over me lazily, and looks up at me with hooded eyes.

"I don't think I have any condoms."

"It's okay, I'm on the pill."

"Really? You waited until now to tell me that? Sookie, we had a six hour flight at one point today. I would have loved to induct you into the mile high club."

I laugh while he slides up my body, grinding his erection into my thigh. I pull my shirt over my head and he does the same.

"I've waited so long for this," he says kissing his way up my neck.

I moan in response. His hands snake around my back to unsnap my bra. My breasts break free of their confines and Eric groans at the sight. He takes each breast into a hand and squeezes gently. He teases my nipples with his fingers before rolling his tongue around them, making them perk up at his attentions.

I writhe beneath him, relishing the friction of his hardness against my core. He groans into my breasts, nibbling down my sides, stopping at my hips. He sits up and removes his pants and wouldn't you know it, he's not wearing any underwear. I guess he was serious about the mile high club.

I laugh and he looks down at me.

"What's so funny?"

"You're not wearing any underwear."

"Something I see you've forgotten about me, lover."

He covers me with his body, making himself at home between my thighs. He kisses me deeply before penetrating my heated wet core. He bites into my bottom lip as he sheaths himself fully within my throbbing walls. My mind flashes back to the time we spent together in Stockholm and a surge of rolling warmth and tightness spreads through my abdomen. I can't control the spasms and writhing created by his thrusts. He pulls out to flip me over and slams back into me to the hilt. I can't help the scream that escapes my lips and he again throws his hand over my mouth, shushing me. I laugh and nibble on his finger. I run my tongue up and down his digits making him squirm.

He drops his hand from my mouth but a single finger lingers. I roll my tongue around the tip, encasing his finger with my mouth. He growls and begins to pound into me from behind. I have to shush him because he's getting louder each time he pushes into me. His other hand comes around to tickle the hairs above my mound. His fingers slip down into my slick folds and he teases my nub, rubbing small circles, applying a little pressure with each pass. My sucking on his finger drives his thrusts faster and faster. His finger circles my clit at the same quickening pace, causing me to suck and lick his fingers as if they were a melting popsicle. A few more pumps of his hips and I'm crying out in pleasure. Eric follows not too long after me, biting down on my shoulder to muffle his moans. We ride out the aftershocks before collapsing on the bed, entangled in each other's arms.

Our breathing labored, hearts pounding, we lay lost in each one another's eyes. I realize this is the way I want things to be from now on. I want to go to bed with Eric by my side and wake up with him wrapped around me. He moves a strand of hair from my sweat dampened brow and kisses the tip of my nose.

"Marry me, Sookie."

* * *

A/N: Thoughts, comments, suggestions... I'm all ears. xoxo

Translations

Min älskling – my dearest


	11. Wedding Day

A/N: So… yeah, this chapter didn't come to me for a long time. And now I'm doing NaNoWriMo for the month of November and won't be working on it until after that. I'm seriously fail on this but I hope you'll forgive me. Probably not once you read this chapter, but I'm looking forward to hearing what you think about it. Quick recap: Eric asked Sookie to marry her last chapter after lots of sex. Pam is in Stockholm trying to figure out how to get back into their good graces. Don't think she works that out…

Thanks for all of the alerts, favorites, and everything. You guys keep me writing (even when I don't want to). Special thank you to my beta **Suaru-chan** for working on this with me. I fudged with it quite a bit after sending it to her, so any remaining mistakes are my own. Don't be afraid to point them out either. I want to fix any screw ups. Enough of my blabbering. Ooh, link for Sookie's dress is on my profile page. Catch you on the flipside! xoxo

* * *

"Um, Sookie dear, can I speak to you for a moment?" Gran yells from the kitchen.

"Sure thing, Gran."

"Where's Eric?" She asks, turning to face me with a dishrag in hand.

"He's in the shower. Did you need something?"

"I know you've been in a weird way lately but my goodness child—that boy must really be something. It took me about an hour to fall to sleep last night. I'm surprised you can even walk straight this morning." She stops wiping down the countertop and smirks. "You know sweetheart, if I wore a hearing aid, I wouldn't say anything to you, but I don't. Can you try to be a little quieter next time? Or better yet, wait until I'm not here. And stay out of the kitchen."

"Gran! I'm so sorry. I…"

"You don't need to apologize. I'm just messing with you. Breakfast is ready!"

I am mortified. I can't tell if she's being serious or not. Just knowing that she knew we were in the kitchen… She smiles over at me and winks. Turns out Gran has one heck of a sense of humor. I don't stop blushing for at least fifteen minutes. I walk back into my bedroom and Eric laughs when he sees me.

"What's got you so flustered?"

"Gran. She was teasing me about overhearing us last night."

"Oh shit! She didn't, did she?"

"I don't know, but I think so."

"You do get loud…" He waggles his brows.

"Shut up! She sleeps pretty sound so I didn't think … anyway, we should tell her about… I think she'll be excited."

"Just excited? I hope she'll be a little more than excited. Aren't you?"

"Well, of course I am. I'll go tell her now and you can book our flight." I bounce over to him and peck him on the cheek.

"You don't want me to be there with you?"

"I want to go as soon as we can, so one of us has to book our flight."

"Okay. Whatever you think is best." He looks at me questioningly.

"Thank you, Eric. You make me so happy."

I smile and slip out the door before he can grab me for a kiss. He's so insatiable that I know I'll never get out to Gran in time to talk to her. Besides, I want him to hold onto his enthusiasm for tasting my lips until our honeymoon. Maybe I can join the mile high club. I'll have to mention that to him and see what he thinks.

I couldn't believe Eric asked me to marry him. I didn't think we were to that point in our relationship, but I can say I didn't hesitate to tell him yes. I know its right with him. I know I don't want to be without him. I know I love him. That should be enough, right? I can't wait to call myself Mrs. Eric Northman. Vegas here we come!

* * *

So they think they can pull a fast one on me? I try Clancy, Eric's best friend, and he's no help. No matter how much I threaten him, he won't cave. So, I think about it for a minute and realize I should just call Adele. Sookie would never keep anything from her and Adele would know where she is.

I think I'll just drop by. Calling Adele would tip Sookie off and I can't afford to do that. I need to let Sookie know a few things about her precious Eric before she decides to run off with him. I wish I knew where the hell Eric was though. I can make him see things my way and all would be well. But, I get to Bon Temps too late. Sookie's not even here.

"Well, hello Pam! It's been such a long time since I've seen you. How are you?" Adele asks as she pulls me into a hug.

"I'm doing well, Adele. I just dropped by to see Sookie. I miss her. I'm not sure what she told you about her trip to Stockholm but we have some issues to work through. She left before we could really talk and I'd like to try to fix things. I thought maybe we could talk things out and…"

"You could if she was here dear, but she isn't. I'm sorry. She just left this morning. Maybe you should call her and see if she'll meet up with you in town."

I frown. "I don't think she'll answer my calls. I've tried calling her since she left Sweden and she hasn't responded to any of my messages. But maybe she will now. I'll give it a shot. Thanks!"

Knowing Adele feels Sookie will talk to me now, I feel better. I need a plan though.

I leave to figure out if I can find where Sookie took off to. Adele didn't give me much to go on, so I'll have to be persuasive when it comes to finding her. My nerves are a bit shot and I can't call Sookie until I calm down. I don't want to say something to piss her off more. I head to Merlotte's to grab a quick bite to eat and catch up on the local gossip. I'm sure someone here has seen or heard about Sookie since she's been back and I may not have to call her at all if she's there. I pull into the gravel covered parking lot and park my car, not far from the door so I can make a quick escape if I need to. Pushing the door open, the waft of fried food and stale beer smacks me in the face. I smile as I walk in, seeing just the person I need to talk to.

Jason Fucking Stackhouse.

* * *

"_Marry me, Sookie."_

If I can be honest, I don't know why I blurted out what I said. I love Sookie. I want Sookie. So why not get married? I don't want to lose her again. I _can't_ lose her again. Actually, Clancy told me if I fucked things up with her, he'd find Alcide and tell him Sookie was up for grabs. Bastard always knows how to get my ass moving. I didn't want to propose to her like I did, but she accepted. That's all that matters.

I call Clancy to let him know the good news. Sookie has yet to return to the bedroom so I figure I have some time to let my best friend know what's up.

"So, I took your advice. I asked her to marry me and she said yes."

"Really? You didn't have to bribe her or anything?"

I can hear his muffled laughter through the receiver.

"No you jackass! She wants this as much as I do."

"Well, that's great man. My only additional word I have to put forth is for you and Sookie both to stay away from Pam and her psycho ass. She'll fuck things up for you if she can, and I'm sure she's out looking for you now. She called me yesterday. I didn't tell her anything, but she knows I know where you are. Keep your ass covered."

_Fuck._ I didn't expect him to tell me that.

"I will. Thanks for letting me know about Pam. I don't think she'll be able to find us here and we're shooting out to Vegas as soon as Sookie's done talking with her grandmother. The sooner we're married, the better."

"Yeah, but marriage isn't going to solve your problems. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Get a handle on this Pam situation and fast. You know how she gets when she's out for blood."

I don't like the tone behind his words, but I know he's right.

"Yes, I do. It's not pretty. She's already had me arrested once and I wouldn't put it past her to do it again." _She's like a bloodthirsty super bitch from hell when you get on her bad side._

"And if she talks to Sookie before you do, I hate to say it, but you'll be fucked."

"Duly noted. Listen, I think Sookie's making her way back here. I'll call you when we land."

"Yeah, 'cause I _really_ want to know how great a time you'll be having in Vegas."

"You're such a dick!"

"Only because you're a pussy!" He laughs.

_**Later on that night…**_

Today is supposed to be the best day of my life. And it would be if _she_ hadn't shown up. I know how she found us but it doesn't make me feel any better about it. I wouldn't begrudge Sookie telling her grandmother the good news, but her brother? Had I known he had such loose lips when it came to pretty women, I would have asked Sookie to wait to tell him until we got back from Vegas. I know something is going to go wrong as soon as the justice of the peace says those damn words…

"If anyone has any reason these two should not be lawfully wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The door to the chapel flies opens so hard it bounces against the wall with a loud thud and we all turn toward the sound.

"Oh, I think I have more than one reason these two shouldn't get married, Padre. Hello, Eric. Why, Sookie, you look absolutely radiant."

In that moment I look over at Sookie. She does look radiant. Her dress is beautiful. It's ivory, strapless, and fits her perfectly. She looks like an angel. I couldn't take my eyes off her when she walked down the aisle toward me. I swear I felt myself tearing up a bit. I'm not a man who cries, but I could have then.

"Pam! What are you doing here?" Sookie asks.

I'm frozen with fear. She can only be here for one reason. _"I'd watch the threats, Eric. I still have my trump card. You want to test me, I'll pull it. Then we'll see who deals with whom."_ Her words still haunt me. I hope she has a bit more tact than to bring that shit up now.

"Stopping you from making a huge mistake. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. I'd like to think I'm still your best friend and I know what's best for you."

"YOU know what's best for ME? Are you _kidding_? You've caused me nothing but pain these last few days and now I'm supposed to look to you for help? I don't think so. Leave. Now!" Sookie turns to the justice for him to continue the ceremony.

"Yes, Pamela. Get the fuck out of here!" I bark at her, as she walks closer to us.

"I know _you_ want me to, Eric, but not before I answer the man's question. Sookie, look at me." She turns to face Pam. "Eric is already married. I'm sure that didn't come up during your many talks about marriage, because of course you two wouldn't just up and fly to Vegas on a whim, right?" She cackles.

"Eric? What is she talking about?"

My face drops and I look away from her gaze. I can't stand to see the hurt in her eyes.

"I'm talking about his wife, Sophie-Ann. You've probably never heard of her. I can't say that I blame him for not telling you, but it's all true. Have you never asked yourself why he has a flat when he was living with me? Or where he gets his money since it's obvious he doesn't work? You did ask yourself that, right? Hmm… well, it seems Eric is the only child of wealthy parents. Beyond wealthy actually. When his father dies, he'll be a billionaire. I'd say great catch if he wasn't already taken—"

"That's enough, Pam!"

"Oh but I don't think so, Mr. Northman, because you failed to tell her you were married and have been for the past three years. Yeah, even before I met him, which means the week you two spent together, he was married. See, his wife is a lesbian. Her parents know that but for propriety's sake wanted her to get married and pop out a few kids. And they chose Eric here to be the sacrificial lamb. So, the two got married but have this agreement that they can sleep with whomever they choose, and Eric can stay at his flat in Stockholm. Seemed to work out perfectly until he met you."

"How do you know any of this?" Sookie asks.

"Simple really. I looked him up when we got home from our vacation last year."

"How could you have done that? I never told you about Eric."

"You didn't have to." Pam sneers.

"Why not?"

"Yes, Pamela. I'd love to hear this. Is that why Sookie never called me?"

"What?" Sookie looks even more confused than I feel.

"I left my number in your purse." I whisper.

"Um, I think I can answer that one, Sookie. I took Eric's number from your purse." She turns to look at me. "I was upset that she'd met someone while we were vacationing and I didn't. What can I say, I'm a bitch. And being the bitch I am, I had one of my friends look you up using your number. I did some research of my own and decided to move to Stockholm. I thought I looked enough like Sookie to remind you of her, and it seems I was right. I just wanted to know what she saw in you, I mean, Leif."

"Why? I don't understand any of this? Is this some sick game the two of you have going?" Sookie drops into a seat not far from where we're standing.

"Let me explain it to you. Eric here thinks he's not married because his wife gives him the freedom to do who or whatever he wants. Hell, she was sleeping with more women than he has in his entire life. I hear she's quite a good fuck too."

"That's enough, Pam. You've done what you came to do. Now you can leave."

"I don't think so. I haven't even told Sookie the best part yet."

"There's more?" Sookie asks.

"I'm warning you, Pam! Stop!"

"Oh? What exactly do you think you can do to me, pretty boy? The damage is done. Look at her. She can't even stand to be near you."

Sookie has moved away from me since Pam started her tirade. I reach out for her and she jerks her arm away. I try to plead with her with my eyes, but she shakes her head. I don't know how to fix this.

"I think I've heard enough. Eric, you haven't called her a liar once. I don't want to believe her, but if it isn't true, wouldn't you have said that by now? I don't know what to believe but we're not getting married tonight, not after this. I need time to think. And Pam, if I ever see you again, it will be too soon."

"Sookie, wait!" I call after her.

She takes off down the aisle she just so happily strode down only a few minutes ago. She stops at the door, turns to face me and walks away. I've never wanted to kill anyone as much I did in the moment I stood facing Pam. I want to wrap my hands around her tiny neck and squeeze the life out of her, but I don't. I'm a gentleman and I would never put my hands on a woman. I'd be lying if I said I didn't strongly reconsider that shit. She smiles at me like she knows exactly what I'm thinking.

"Well, are you happy now? She hates us both. She won't forgive you for this."

"She will. It'll take some time, but she'll realize I did it for her own good. You lied to her, Eric. You should have told her about your situation just like you should have told me. I'm sure she would have understood." She laughs so hard she's doubled over.

"You know what, Pam? You fucked up this time. Sophie and I got our marriage annulled years ago. We did it secretly so we could continue with the façade of being married for our parents. Yeah, you didn't know that because I wanted it that way. I wish you would have talked to me about this before opening your big fucking mouth."

_Now_ she's speechless.

"Wha… no… I… wha…?"

"I'll tell you this… we're done. I don't want to see you, hear from you or even think about you. Forget you ever knew me. Stay away from me and Sookie because the next time I see you, you'll regret the day you were born. I keep my background secret for a reason. You really don't want to know what I can do to you but I can assure you it'll be worse than the stupid shit you've pulled."

I can't stand to look at her another second and barrel past her. I have to find Sookie. I have to get her back. Fucking Pam!


	12. Wedding? Night

**A/N: Thanks so much to my lovely beta Suara_chan for helping me with this chapter. Thank you to all of you who continue to read, review, alert and favorite this story. Enjoy!**

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"Honey, what are you doing calling so soon? Where's Eric? Shouldn't you two be off on your honeymoon?"

_Right, that. How to begin…_

"We should be, but we never finished the ceremony." I tug at the bodice of my dress. Sliding my hands over the soft fabric which covers my legs like withered flower petals; I fight back a few tears.

"What? Why not?"

I really don't want to tell her but I called her. May as well get it over with.

"It turns out Eric is a big fat liar. He's… married." I can barely get the word to pass my lips without wanting to retch. My throat burns at the thought of having to repeat it again.

"Married? Oh honey… how are you? Tell me everything."

"I'm sad but I'm okay. I feel like such an idiot. Pam told me—"

"Pam! How did she know where you were? Oh… Jason Stackhouse. I oughta ring that boy's neck." She mumbles something else I can't hear.

"Huh? Gran, I'm not sure I understand."

"Pam stopped by here yesterday looking for you. She sat and talked with Jason for a bit at Merlotte's and he must have opened his big mouth. I guarantee he told her what I told him. He's a worse gossip than I am. I'm sorry, Sookie. If I wouldn't have told him where you two were going, Pam wouldn't have found out and shown up there. This is all my fault."

"Please don't blame yourself, Gran. She did me a favor. If I would have married Eric well, it probably wouldn't have been legal anyway. She saved me a bit of heartache, even if she stomped all over our relationship. After all we've been through, after knowing I kept my feelings for Eric at bay because I didn't want to ruin our friendship... Why would she do this to me? She's supposed to be my best friend. He's supposed to be my everything..."

"She had no right to do that. It's Eric's business to tell you things about his past and I'm sure he has a good reason for why he didn't tell you. At least he better. Though, you have to wonder sweetheart, if he wanted to marry you and made the effort to go through with it, he couldn't still be married, could he?"

Leave it to Gran to be the practical one. I don't think her logic is going to win me over this time. I don't care what the reason is behind him not telling me, the point is he didn't. How can I trust him after this?

"His wife is in Sweden. I don't think it would matter if he married me here. Truth be told, I don't know how it works. I'm just so angry I could spit."

"You're a lady above anything so you will do no such thing. Go take a nice hot bath and pick up a book to take your mind off things for a while. It'll help you relax so you can think better. You don't want to make any hasty decisions while you're upset. Should you decide to castrate him, you'll want to be level headed." She giggles.

I would laugh if I wasn't so upset. "Wait? Do you think I'm going about this wrong?"

"Not at all, dear."

I can feel her magic make-Sookie-see-what's-right-in-front-of-her-face mojo working.

"Gran, he never told me he was married. He kept it from me all this time. Don't you think there's something to that? Why hide it?"

"Did you talk to him about it or is this all on Pam's word?" Well, she got me there.

"I didn't talk to him yet."

She gasps. "Well, why ever not? I'd want to hear the truth from the horse's mouth. I think I might call him and give him a piece of my mind."

"I couldn't stand to look at him anymore. I was pissed off. I needed to get away. Besides, he didn't have anything to say and I didn't want to listen to anymore lies."

"Sookie, you're not being fair. I never took you for the type to avoid your problems. You always face them head-on. If Eric is who you want to be with, you have to get his side of the story in order to make an informed decision. I'm not saying what he did is forgivable or you should forget about it, I'm just saying you should have all the facts first. If he deliberately tried to mislead you for some unforeseen reason, then that's one thing. But taking Pam's word over his isn't—"

"I saw his face, Gran. I looked into his eyes and asked him if it was true and he couldn't even look at me. That was enough for me. I'm sorry, Gran but I don't want to talk about this anymore. I think I'm going to take that bath and try and get some sleep. Thanks for listening. And thanks for always helping me work through things. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd do just fine on your own, sweetheart. I completely understand how you feel and I only hope I helped you. No matter what happens, I'm on your side. I'm always on your side. Will you call me once you've talked to him? Let me know how things go?"

"Sure. I'll call to let you know when to expect me home. Maybe Jason can get me from the airport?"

"I'm so sorry, Sookie. I wish I could fix this for you." She sighs.

"A hug will be nice when I see you. That's all I need right now."

"Then it'll be waiting for you when you get here. And I'll talk to Jason right after I smack him first. I love you, Sookie. You have a good night and don't worry about a thing. You'll know what to do come morning."

"Thanks, Gran. Love you too."

I hang up with Gran feeling a little better. Knowing she's on my side helps. A few minutes pass and I hear the door to our hotel room open. I sit up a little straighter on the edge of the bed and pull in a deep jagged breath. Here goes nothing.

Relief washes over Eric's face when he sees me. "I didn't expect you to still be here. I thought for sure you were gone."

"I wanted… I need to hear what you have to say. That and I'm tired of running away from you. The last time I ran from you where did it get me? Sometimes I wonder how different things would be had I stayed with you then. But… that's all in the past. Can you just tell me why you didn't say anything to contradict Pam?"

"Because it was true. All of it was true except she didn't know about the annulment."

I look up at him in disbelief.

"But why didn't you tell me?"

He walks a little closer to where I am on the bed but doesn't sit down.

"I don't know. I didn't think it would come up. Sophie and I annulled the marriage years ago—before I met you. It was done in secret so my parents wouldn't find out and—"

"That's another thing. You're parents have that much control over you?"

"They did, then. It's not as simple as you think, Sookie. Things with my parents… they're complicated. As Pam mentioned, I'm uh…" his voice trails off as he tries to find the words to say.

"Pretty well off?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Eric…" I sigh in exasperation.

"Sookie, I would have told you all of this stuff but I didn't think it would matter to you. I thought you were different from Pam with her shopping habits and blowing money on anything just because she could. You wanted me for me and I… I only wanted you. I wanted you so much that nothing else mattered. I didn't think. That's it. I don't have an excuse." He runs his hands through his hair and shoves them into his pockets.

Even now I think he's the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. But looking deep into his eyes, I see he's not the man I thought he was. I don't know him at all.

"Well, that clears everything right up, doesn't it?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to make this up to you, Sookie. I'll answer whatever questions you have. I'll show you whatever documents you need to see. I'll do anything. Just, please don't leave."

"Ah… I don't know what to say. This is unbelievable. If you'd told me about this before today, sure I would have been upset, but we could have gotten past it. We had an entire flight where you could have told me. I mean, we were planning to get married, Eric. Did that not trigger something in your mind? Did you not think maybe you should tell me you were married before and no one knows you'd been divorced?"

"Annulled. It's like I've never been married. I don't have an ex-wife. It's important that you know that. You… this would have been my first marriage in my eyes. I didn't know Pam would find us to tell you like she did."

"But she knew and I didn't."

"She found out somehow and held it over my head when I pissed her off. I know she can be a bitch but I didn't think she could be this big a bitch." He starts to pace. "Tell me what to do?"

"Go fuck yourself."

"Okay. What else?"

I fight hard not to giggle.

"Jump off a bridge, go drown in a river, kiss my ass!"

"I'll do all of that. What else? Tell me what else and I'll do it." He stops in front of me. "Don't leave."

"Eric…" I rub small circles on my temple to ease the building headache.

"I'm serious, Sookie. I'll do whatever it takes. I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you. I let my parents manipulate me into marrying Sophie because I was young and naïve. That's no excuse, but it's the way it was."

"What would they do if they found out you weren't still married to her? If they found out you were married to me—a nobody."

"First, you are somebody to me. You're everything to me. Second, if they found out, I don't know but you wouldn't be affected by it. They'd be pissed that's for sure but I would suffer the consequences."

"Punishing you would affect me. I wouldn't want that… I don't want that. Maybe we shouldn't get married." I start pulling pins out of my hair and it falls down around my shoulders in ringlets.

"Technically, we've done it. He didn't utter the words 'I now pronounce you husband and wife,' but did he really need to finish? We know how we feel about one another. Is that really going to change because Pam wants it to?"

"No, Eric. It changes because you lied to me."

"Omitted some information that would never have to be brought to light."

"Okay, omitted information. Why is that? Weren't you ever going to tell me?"

"I trust you so yes, I would have told you. I should have told you sooner but I didn't. I'm sorry I fucked this up. Don't be upset with me over this forever. You love me. Does that change because of something that happened years ago that shouldn't matter now?" His eyes appear glossy and my heart aches.

"Mmm… you can't say that. It does matter because of your parents and what they'll do to you. It seems to matter to Pam since she felt the need to come all this way to tell me about it."

He looks at me with a blank face and bites out his words. "She just didn't want to lose you to me!"

"That sounds really healthy." My sarcasm is thick and biting. "What is her obsession with you, and me for that matter? Why can't she leave us alone to be happy?"

"I don't know." He whispers.

"You've been saying that an awful lot, you know."

"I'd rather say I don't know than lie to you. I feel like shit for not telling you about Sophie, but she's no threat to you. As far as the world is concerned, and for those who need to know, Sophie and I are still married. As far as you and I are concerned, _we're_ married, and that's all that matters to me. Fuck the world and my parents. I only want you. And I want you to be happy. So end my torture and tell me you'll stay. Come downstairs with me and let the justice finish pronouncing us so we can move pass this."

"If it could only be that simple."

He drops to his knees in front of me, taking my hands in his.

"It can be if you let it."

"How can I trust you after this, Eric?"

I want to trust him more than anything. I want to forget this ever happened and just run off and get married. It would be simple. But this isn't some fairytale and I'm not a pushover. I can't ignore this, I can't forget it, and I can't do anything about it right now. I need to think. I need to decide if this is worth salvaging or if I should just give up. Give him up. My trust in him is broken and I'm not sure it can be saved. My heart aches at the thought.

"You don't think you can trust me?" He squeezes my hands a little tighter. "Over something Pam got wrong?" His brows draw together and he purses his lips. He shakes his head and drops my hands to brush his hair back behind his ears.

"She didn't get it wrong, Eric. She got it right and _you_ should have been the one to tell me."

He rubs his face roughly. "You realize this is just a bump in the road to happiness. It's nothing we need to be swayed by. I love you; you love me; let's be together."

I stumble over my words. "I can't… I don't think I can … do it. I can't just forget you have some secret life that could impact our, _my_ future. It's selfish of you to think so. If you can't tell your parents about us, then there _is_ no us." My breath catches in my throat.

"Sookie, you don't understand. I can't just … it's more to it than that."

"Then explain. Tell me." I plead to him with my eyes.

"Trust me."

The hole in my chest swells with an ache that feels like I'm being sucked into a black hole, never to be seen again. I trusted him once and look at how well that turned out for me.

"Easier said than done. I need time to think. Until then… goodbye, Eric." I stand from my perch on the edge of the bed and grabbing what few things I can, I walk out the door.

( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

I'm dumbfounded. I can't move. My feet are stuck to the floor like I'm planted in cement.

_Ring, ring. Ring, ring._

Fuck! I can hear my phone but can't remember where it is. If I miss her call…

_Ring, ring. Ring, ring. _

It's in my pocket. I whip it out and in my haste almost drop the phone to the floor. I hit the send button, my breaths leaving in quick pants, praying I don't miss her call.

"Hello! Sookie?"

"Uh, no. This is Adele Stackhouse. Sookie's grandmother."

"Yes. Hello, Adele. I can guess why you're calling. I take it you spoke with Sookie?"

"Sookie called me earlier and explained the situation at hand. I need to ask, what the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you tell her you were married before? I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and let you say your piece before I rip into you because I've met you and you don't seem like an idiot. Although, I may have to reconsider once you tell me your side of things. Was there a reason you didn't tell Sookie about your wife?"

"She's no longer my wife. We had the marriage annulled. That means it's null and void; like I've never been married. And yes there's a reason I didn't tell her about Sophie Ann. I explained it to Sookie but she didn't think my reason was good enough."

I can hear Adele mumbling something about stubborn child, but I can't quite make out what she's saying.

"Why don't you try me? I'm all ears."

I explain to her about my parents—the stupid societal games they play—Sophie Ann, meeting Pam and everything else I can think of. Adele says an occasional "unh huh," but listens to what I have to say without uttering a word. Once I finish, she's quiet for a long while. I'm about to check to make sure she's still there when she clears her throat and speaks.

"I'm not sure how you're going to fix this. First, you should have told Pam everything while you two were dating. If she'd known the truth from the beginning, she wouldn't have had anything to hold over you."

"But, I—"

"You'd be wise to let me finish Mr. Northman."

"Yes, ma'am."

"As I was saying, she wouldn't have had anything to hold over you, but I understand the position it would have put you in. If you were trying to keep this a secret because of your parents, you really didn't have a choice in the matter. But, most likely they would have found out anyway. What I don't understand is why you don't just tell your parents how it is? If they love you, they should be supportive of you, no matter what position they hold in society." I want to scoff at that but bite my tongue. If she knew my parents, she'd change her tune.

"Second, you should have told Sookie everything before you asked her to marry you, and definitely before the two of you decided to get involved with one another again. Third, when I see Pam again, I'm going to have a few words with her. She used to be such a sweet girl. I don't know why she's hell-bent on making everyone around her miserable."

I laugh at her perfect assessment of Pam. There has to be something going on with her that even I don't know about.

"Give Sookie some time. She hasn't left as far as I know so maybe she's thinking things over. Sookie can be stubborn, but in this instance, you and I both know she's right to be upset with you. This is no small thing and she's going to have issues with trusting you after this. Sookie's real big on trust and once you lose it, it's hard to win back."

"I know but I'm willing to do anything."

"I really think you should call your parents. Tell them whatever you need to and handle your issues with them. If you can't get your own house in order, the two of you will have more problems than you can shake a stick at. Once you've done that, I think Sookie will be more willing to listen to you. She's so used to doing for everyone and she has no one doing for her. She may seem tough as a brick, but deep down she's as gentle as a flower and it doesn't take much to crush her. She's given you her heart and you've broken it. You have got to make this right, Eric. Now, I'm done."

She chuckles and I breathe a sigh of relief. I thought she was going to yell at me to stay away from Sookie or worse.

"Adele, you should know I love Sookie more than anything. I want to protect her as much as I can from my parents and their lunacy but I don't know what they'll do once they find out I'm not married to Sophie Ann. It's been easy to keep up the façade and stay out of the limelight but you don't know them. They don't think logically; they only think about their status; and they care about being important. There's a reason I've stepped away from that lifestyle. I don't want it and don't want the attention. I think I should talk to Sophie Ann first and she how she feels about it. It involves her too and I'd hate to cause her any anguish. Thank you for calling and talking with me. I appreciate you giving me the chance."

"I didn't do it for you. Sookie means more to me than you'll ever know. She does so much for me when she should take better care of herself. She's so giving and that's what I'm most worried about. I know how much Sookie cares for you and how hard this whole thing has been for her. She was so torn up once she found out who you were to Pam and now this on top of everything is just too much. I've listened to what you had to say and I can't say I understand it completely, but it's not for me to decide. I can't say what Sookie will do and I can't say she'll trust you from here on out, but that's something the two of you will have to work out."

"What would you do in her shoes? Knowing what you do?"

"That's a good question young man. A very good question. I'm going to bed and I'll think on it. You'll let me know how things turn out with your parents?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good boy. And Mr. Northman?"

"Eric… please, it's Eric."

"Very well. Eric, if I ever hear of you hurting my granddaughter again, you won't get a phone call next time. You catch my drift."

She must be referring to the shotgun hidden in the closet near the kitchen.

"Yes, ma'am. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Eric. And it's Adele."

I hang up with a smile on my face and send Sookie a text. I want to be sure she knows I love her and will do whatever she needs—even if it means staying away from her. Anxious, I pick up my cell to check for messages and there are none. Once I'm done willing the damn thing to chirp, I strip out of my suit and hop in the shower. I need to wash this day off me and start fresh.

As the hot water runs over my head and down my back, I can't help but think about Sookie—her touch, her scent, her taste. How I would kill to have her here with me now. I should be calling her Mrs. Northman and making love to her while on our honeymoon. I need to give her space and I will, but not forever. I know she'll be heading to Bon Temps so I plan to book a flight back as soon as I'm out of the shower. I shut off the hot spray of water, towel dry and grab my laptop from the desk. I get my flight booked and find a hotel in Shreveport. I don't want to push my luck thinking she'll want me to stay at her house. Once that's done, I climb in between the cool, crisp white sheets of the king size bed which feels even bigger now that Sookie's not here. There's always the chance that she'll come back tonight. I can only hope.

I lay back and close my eyes, saying a silent prayer that I hear from Sookie tonight. Before I know it, the sunlight is breaking through the drapes in the room, rousing me to face the new day. Alone.


	13. Her Past His Present

_Three years ago…_

Two lovers in bed, holding one another in post-coital bliss, discussing their lives, love and fears.

"What are you worried about?"

"If someone finds out about us. I don't know how I could face my family."

"Do you think they would disown you?"

"No, but they'd be shocked. I've caused enough trouble with my Gran over the years. I don't want to cause any more."

"Hadley, if she loves you, there's nothing you can do to change the way she feels."

"I know you're right but I just…"

"SOPHIE! Sophie darling, where are you?"

"Oh shit! I didn't think my parents would be home yet."

"What should we do?"

The door to Sophie's bedroom crashes open before she or her lover can decide what to do. The look on her mother's face says more than any words can.

"Sophie! What? Who is this woman in your bed?"

"Mother, listen, I can explain…"

"Oh, can you? How will you explain this away? She sure as hell doesn't look like your husband. You do remember Eric, don't you?"

"Mother, you don't understand."

"Then help me, Sophie. Tell me what I need to know to not reveal this indiscretion to your father and your husband's parents. Tell me something, darling. Or I'll tell you something you know you won't want to hear."

Sophie Ann feared what her mother would do so she laid out the whole sordid tale, in detail. She kept the annulment portion to herself. She's not stupid, but telling her mother that Eric doesn't mind her having lovers is still a hard pill for her mother to swallow. Once she's heard everything about Sophie Ann's affair with Hadley, she decides not to mention it to Sophie's father. It would kill him to know his daughter wasn't sticking with her end of the bargain, and if the Northmans ever found out, well, goodbye partnership.

* * *

_Present day…_

"I told her everything then. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it sooner. Your mother didn't tell you?"

I shake my head before I realize she can't see me. "No. Why would she have? It's not like my parents wouldn't want to hold something else over my head."

"Well, my mum got drunk one night and decided to spill her guts to your mother. I thought for sure we would be ruined, but apparently she's kept quiet. Eric, I don't think your father has any idea."

"Oh, I'm sure he does. You don't know my mother. Drunk or not, she wouldn't be able to keep something like that secret from him. Not for long, anyway. I am surprised she hasn't said anything to me, though. She lives to keep me at her beck and call. This… this would definitely be great ammunition for her."

"I'm really sorry about all of this. But there is something else."

"What more could there be?" The phone goes so quiet I think we've been disconnected. "Sophie! Soph? What else?"

"I think, they may know about the annulment."

I'm stunned into silence. I almost drop the phone my hands are shaking so fiercely. I'm angry now because if they know about our marriage being dissolved, then they could have told me and saved me the trouble of breaking Sookie's heart.

"How?" I bite out through gritted teeth.

"I don't know. It's possible they got to Hadley. I haven't seen her since my mother caught us in bed together. I wouldn't put it past her if she paid her off."

My voice drops to a whisper. "I think I need to come home."

"Are you sure that's something you should do? I can handle things from here if you want."

"Yeah 'cause you're doing such a bang up fucking job now! No. I need to handle this myself. I only called to warn you but it seems I didn't need to. I should be pissed at you. Why didn't you call me and tell me what was going on sooner?"

"I tried to get in touch with you but I was _persuaded_ not to."

"Persuaded?" I'm sure my eyebrows have hit the roof.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"Persuaded by whom, Sophie?" I run my hands through my hair, waiting for her reply.

"You should know, if there was something more I could have done, I would have. I feel completely to blame for not telling my parents to shove it earlier on. You wouldn't have been put in this situation to begin with."

I notice she doesn't answer my question but don't call her on it. I'm sure I know who "persuaded" her not to call me. "You can't say that. It's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this. The business deal between our parents was always in the works. It was just a matter of time."

She sighs. "I will take your word for it, but I don't agree with you."

"You don't agree with me? Are you out of your fucking mind? Sophie, our parents use us as pawns in their business shit and we have to deal with the fallout. And you don't think they had this planned all along? You're not naïve. Don't pretend to be now."

She's quiet for a long while. I'm ready to apologize for losing my temper when she speaks up.

"When should I expect you?"

"I don't know yet. I have to book my flight. I'll try to get a flight out tomorrow morning so that I can get there sometime tomorrow evening. I need to find Sookie before I leave. Maybe I can talk her into coming with me." I chuckle at the thought. That's a fucking long-shot if ever there were one.

"You know, I can talk to her for you—tell her about the bind we've been put in. I think talking to the other woman might help. If there are questions she has, I can answer them. Unless of course you think it's a bad idea."

"I don't know, Sophie. She's pretty pissed at me right now and I'd be worried talking to you would just set her off."

"If I were in her shoes, I'd want to talk to me. At least to get the whole story. She may not trust you right now, but I have no reason to lie to her. Let me try, and see what happens. I'll be sure she knows it was me who suggested calling if she's really upset."

I don't know what to tell Sophie, but she is a woman. I would think she'd know a bit more about how the female mind works, right?

I laugh. "I guess it can't hurt. I'll give you her number before we hang up. I'll let you know when I have my flight and what time it gets in."

"Great, great. I'll pick you up at the airport. It's the least I can do."

"No. I don't want to put you out. Besides, my parents will probably send a car for me anyway. I'll have to let them know I'm on my way."

"You don't owe them anything, Eric. I wouldn't tell them I was coming."

"That's where you're wrong. I need to tell them because if they find out I'm there and didn't let them know, it'll be worse for me. And on the off chance Sookie decides to come with me, I wouldn't want to put her in a more uncomfortable position."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. It'll give me time to talk to them before we step into the Thunderdome."

She laughs. "Okay. I'll begin damage control. Hey, I want tickets to that event."

I laugh but rattle off Sookie's number to her. Once we've said our goodbyes and hang up, I book the earliest flight I can for Stockholm. I'm not looking forward to going home, especially if it's alone. I purchase an extra ticket. Just in case.

* * *

The sound of my phone ringing pulls me from my sleep. I thought I'd shut the damn thing off but I guess I forgot after I finished talking to Gran.

"Hello."

"Hi, is this Sookie?"

"Yes. Who may I ask is calling?"

"You don't know me, but my name is Sophie Ann LeClerq. I'm Eric's um—"

"Wife?"

She chuckles. "No. Look, please don't hang up! I wanted a chance to talk to you, to explain things."

"You've got thirty seconds to say what you want before I do."

"Well, I might need at least a few minutes. Things are a lot more complicated than that and that's why I'm calling. I hear that the news has been broken to you about our… arrangement? I wanted to explain and answer any questions you had so that you would give Eric a chance to explain things to you."

"Did he put you up to this?"

"No. I volunteered. I know you don't know this, but I know your cousin Hadley. Intimately."

I take a moment before asking my next question. "What exactly do you mean?"

"We were lovers. I know you may not have known of her affinity for women, but we were together for quite some time. We were together before Eric and I were pressed into marriage with one another, and after we'd gotten the annulment. She took off once my mother found out about us and that's about the last time I heard from her. You haven't kept in touch with her, have you? I'm a bit worried. I just want to know that she's okay and if my parents had anything to do with her leaving. I want to remedy that as well."

"I haven't talked to her in years. I had no idea. I… I don't know what to say. And I'll be honest, it sounds like you feel a bit guilty about my cousin and want to try to smooth things over with her. I don't understand how I fit into the equation but whatever. That is what you all do, isn't? You think you can take your money and throw it at your problems and that will fix them? I'm not a problem to be fixed and neither is my cousin!"

"He loves you. Probably more than anyone he's ever… Just know that he loves you. What we had was merely an arrangement to make our parents happy. There were no romantic feelings between us at all. Well, now you know why, but I thought if you heard it from me—"

"I'd forgive him and not hold a grudge? He lied to me Sophie Ann. He kept a huge part of his life hidden from me and I'm just supposed to accept it now. He didn't trust me enough to let me in. He didn't trust me with his heart. That's what upset me more than anything. I can't forgive that."

"I understand, but _you_ have to understand the position he's put in. He's an only child. He's the heir to his parents' fortune and he isn't at all what they expect him to be. He literally jumps through hoops to keep them happy—and I'm sure you know how tall he is—so think of how difficult that is for him. But he does it. It's why he agreed to marry me."

I'm not sure if she's trying to be funny or not, but something else she says grabs my attention. "Wait… why does he need to keep them happy?"

"They are not the most—how to put this delicately—stable people. They're almost like sociopaths. They have so much control over him that he's nothing more than a puppet. He doesn't want to be, which is why he distances himself from them as much as possible, but they can tug on his strings and pull him right back. In fact, he's planning to come here to talk to them. He wants to settle things once and for all. I'm not sure how it will all play out for him, but he's willing to break all ties with them. For you."

_Well, whoop-dee-doo!_ "What does that mean?"

"He'll be ostracized. They won't acknowledge him anymore and they will do everything in their power to rid him of his rightful inheritance. I know that may not mean much to you, but with the shit they've put him through all these years, he deserves more than what's coming to him. It may be better if he explains it to you."

"I think I've heard enough. Thank you for calling me."

"Do you know when he's leaving? He said he was going to call you to see if you would go with him. Has he?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I've been so upset that I didn't bother answering my phone until now."

"I can let you know when he's leaving if you want to catch him, which I hope you do."

I could hear the smile in her voice. "I'll think about it."

"It's the least I can hope for. I love Eric like a brother. I know him and I know he's madly in love with you. He told me so himself. He's so beaten up over what happened between you two. I'm not telling you to forgive him, but I do hope you'll hear him out. If you can't find it in your heart to trust him, then he's officially ruined the best thing he's ever had."

"Did he say that too?"

"Oh, you need to ask him that. I think I've said too much as it is. Anyway, think about what I've said, and go from there. I wish you the best of luck. And I hope you can work things out. He needs you, Sookie. I'll send you his flight information as soon as I get it. I hope you use it."

"Thanks, Sophie. Goodbye."

She's given me a lot to think about.


	14. Can't We All Just Get Along?

"Sookie?" I call only to have my voice fall into the empty air surrounding me.

A flash of blonde hair, which looks like Sookie's, whizzes by me in a blur. I turn looking this way and that, trying to catch another glimpse of the mysterious vision. Another allusion of golden locks crosses my periphery and I move quickly to locate the source of my torment. I follow after the long flowing hair, trying to catch up to the elusive woman. I call out to her again and this time, she pauses after a hesitant step. Turning around, I see that it is her. _My Sookie. _A smile spreads across my face and I step a little closer to her, wanting to be as near as possible.

"Did you get my message? Are you here to go with me to Stockholm?" I ask, desperate for her to say yes.

"Er, no. I'm going home. To Bon Temps. I'm sorry, Eric. I need time and I think you going home is great. I won't worry about you and you won't have to worry about me. I hope you get things worked out with your parents. If and when you do, call me. We can talk then."

"I really thought…" I shake my head, trying to organize my thoughts. "So, you won't come with me? Sookie I need you—"

"I have to go. I'll miss my flight if I don't. Text me or something when you land so that I know you made it safely." She turns to walk about but stops, casting me a sideways glance. "You should know... I don't hate you, Eric. I just can't be with you right now; not after everything that's happened."

"Can I at least…?" I step closer to her, filling the small gap of space between us with as much love and devotion I can muster.

I place a finger under her chin, tilting her face up toward mine. My other hand finds its way into her hair and I cradle her head gently. My lips brush hers with the briefest of touches before she pulls away. The soft tendrils of blonde curls float across my fingertips as she takes a step back.

"Goodbye, Eric. Be safe," she whispers.

I catch a glimpse of her hand going to her face and brushing across her cheek. Remembering my touch, maybe? She turns on her heel and dashes away.

This is the third time I've let her walk away from me and it will be the last.

XXXX

"Mother, Father." I nod in greeting to my parents. The thought of being any closer to them makes my skin crawl. Their bullshit might rub off on me.

"Eric, my boy. Nice of you to come home," my father says in Swedish.

"He's only here because he knows he's fucked up. I regret the day I birthed you. Thirty-six hours of labor and for what!"

I expect nothing less from my mother and walk away as she continues her rant of regret. I find my room is left in the same condition it was in when I left years ago. It's empty of my life here. A mere shell of what _used to be_ my home. I find one of the guest rooms to drop my bags in and quickly hop in the shower. I need to wake myself up. If I sleep now, I'll never be on the right schedule and my time here will be even worse.

I emerge from the bathroom with a towel slung low on my hips. Feeling refreshed, I pick up my cell to call Sookie. I hesitate.

She said I should let her know when I arrived, but I don't know if I should. I'm sure I won't say anything but how much I miss her and want her with me. That would not be productive. I dial her number anyway. She answers on the third ring.

"Hello?"

She sounds winded.

"Sookie, its Eric. I'm in Stockholm. I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, no. I was away from my phone and had to run to answer it. So, how was your flight?"

We're in the small talk stage now?

"Sookie, I'm sorry. I love you. Please let me make this up to you."

"Eric, I can't do this with you right now. I told you, I need time."

"Time for what? Don't you love me? What matters besides that?"

"I'm sorry, what? I didn't understand. I think you started speaking Swedish." She giggles and I get angrier.

I must have switched languages. I tend to revert to my native tongue when I'm pissed. I take a deep breath before I can say anything.

"Don't you love me, Sookie?"

I can hear her breathing on the line, but she doesn't say anything for a long while. I'm beginning to lose my resolve and think that maybe we can't come back from this.

"Sookie?"

"I'm here. I do love you, Eric. I don't know if I can trust you. Do you understand that?"

I nod, forgetting she's not in front of me.

"I understand. Can we start over? Be friends and work our way back to one another?"

"I… I don't know. I guess that wouldn't be terrible. What do you mean by 'friends' though? I just want to be sure I'm clear on things."

"The type of friends who talk on the phone, maybe hang out every once in a while. Friends who trust one another with their secrets," I chuckle. She doesn't laugh.

"Hmm… I would be willing to try that, but not until you get yourself sorted out. I can't, and won't, hop back into the same situation as if it will all work out fine without anything being done to resolve these issues between us."

"My parents, you mean."

"Yes. And Sophie, among others. I may not have liked her calling me but she gave me some insight into your world. I'm worried about getting caught in the cross-fire and being hurt unnecessarily. I want to be with you and it kills me to be apart from you. But it has to be this way," she whispers the last part.

I can feel her hurt pouring through the phone and I want nothing more than to wrap her in my arms and tell her everything will be okay.

_What the hell happened to put us here? _Pam.

"Everything will be okay, Sookie. I swear it. If I can't work things out, I'll leave you alone. But if I can, I'm coming to get you."

"Skipping right past the friends bit, huh?" she laughs.

"I won't bullshit you. We can do the friend thing now while we're apart. That's all I can promise you as far as that goes. You can't expect me to keep from wanting you when it's been you for so long."

"Let's not go there, please. You were with Pam during your longing for me so I'm not buying that. If you can't be honest with me, this friendship thing won't work."

"I'm going down to talk to my parents in a bit and I'll call you when I'm done. I want you to know what's going on every step of the way."

She sighs. "What about Pam?"

"What about her? She's out of our lives and I'm planning for her to stay that way."

"I'm not so sure about that. She might be on her way there. I don't know what she's planning, but she left me a message and I—"

I unleash a slew of profanity that I'm glad Sookie doesn't understand. I hadn't gotten the chance to teach her much Swedish, but her ears would be red right about now.

"Calm down, Eric! I would have told you sooner but I'm glad I didn't since you're reacting this way."

"How can I not? She's ruined everything for me. For us. We'd be married now if it weren't for her interference."

"Again, let's not go there. Would you have told me about Sophie on our wedding night?"

I hesitate to answer as I don't know what I would have done.

"That's what I thought. I know she went about things the wrong way, but she saved me from making a mistake."

"Not a mistake. We're not a mistake, do you hear me?"

"I didn't mean that. I only meant—"

"I know what you meant." I glance at the clock and notice the time. With everything that's happened over the last two days, I'm amazed she isn't in bed now. "I'm keeping you up. You should get some rest. I'll call you when I have news."

"Please don't be upset…" Her words trail to nothing, but I'm positive she wanted to add _with me._

"I'm not upset with you, love. I only want us together. I love you more than anything and I'm willing to do whatever I need to prove that to you."

"Goodbye, Eric."

She disconnects before I can say anything. I don't think she wanted me to hear her crying. Fuck!

I dress, making myself presentable enough to ream out my parents. I find them both in the sitting room, waiting for dinner to be served. My mother looks up when I enter the room and returns her gaze to her book. I doubt she's even reading it. It's merely a pretense so she doesn't have to participate in any conversation.

My father folds his paper closed and gestures me to sit across from him. I take a seat on the sofa but don't get too comfortable.

"I wanted to tell you both that I'm not married to Sophie Ann. We had the marriage annulled shortly after we were wed."

"Your mother and I know that," my father says, unperturbed.

"How?" I ask, thrown for a loop.

"Your girlfriend, Pam. She used to come see us. I'm not sure how she found out, but she let us know she was stepping in to be the next Mrs. Eric Northman."

Oh she did, did she?

"You know, Eric, you could have told us Sophie was gay."

"That wasn't my tale to tell, Dad. She didn't want her parents to find out that way."

My mother puts her book down and fixes me with a hard glare. "How do you think we found out? Her mother knew all about it." She pauses to take a sip from her glass of wine before continuing. "She didn't want to ruin the business deal we had going and you kids were a huge part of it. Why do you think we wanted you to marry in the first place? You'd both be heirs to our businesses. We couldn't just let them fall into the hands of board members."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. Is this true, Dad?"

"Every word your mother speaks is truth." He drops his head, ashamed.

I always wondered which of them were involved in the business dealings. It would seem I have my answer. I'm pulled from my reverie by my mother's belligerent mutterings.

"… you're just like us yet you hide it better."

"I don't understand what you mean, Mother."

"You never told us what was going on because you knew it was what we wanted. You're a good son in that regard. We don't want this getting out so we'll take care of it," my father says with a look that garners no further comment.

"You don't want what getting out? That I'm not married to Sophie? Or that she prefers women?"

"Both," my father sighs. "It would be devastating to your reputation to be ousted by another woman. Don't you care about your manhood?" he asks, eyebrows raised.

I laugh, unable to do anything else. I can see this is going to be a long, tiring trip. But if in the end it leads me to getting Sookie back, it'll be worth it.

* * *

"Sookie, sweetheart! I wasn't expecting you so soon."

Gran wraps her arms around me before I can set my bag down.

"I got an early flight. I wanted to get home as soon as possible."

She pulls back, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Now why is that? You didn't work things out with Eric?"

"No. But, he's going home to sort out his folks and we'll go from there. He's supposed to call when he gets there."

"It's interesting you care whether he makes it home or not," Gran says, her lips pursed to keep from smiling.

I roll my eyes. "Of course I care. I can't turn it off like I want to."

"Why would you want to, if you love him?"

"Gran… it's not that simple. He's lost my trust—"

"But not your love." It wasn't a question.

"No. Not my love. I just… I can't think. I can only feel."

"How do you feel?"

_Angry! _"Tired. Can I put my bag down and we finish this conversation later?"

She laughs but finally drops her hands from my shoulders and allows me to enter the house. I put my bag in my bedroom, dropping to the bed like a sack of potatoes. Gran follows behind with a glass of iced tea. She sets it on the table next to the bed with a "tsk." I turn my head to watch the droplets of condensation as they chase one another down the sides of the glass. The ice clinks together as it melts, floating to the top of the liquid with an invisible push. I sigh, knowing Gran is waiting for me to speak. I'm not sure I have the energy for this conversation but I sit up and take a long gulp of tea.

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and gather up the courage to look inside and figure out what I truly feel.

"I feel alone, betrayed, and hurt. On top of that, I'm still madly in love with him. I think that's what hurts the most. I feel like an idiot. Like I shouldn't still love him the way I do though he lied to me."

"At least you're being honest with yourself. I'd hate it if you felt the way you thought you should instead of just feeling what comes natural." Gran sits next to me and gathers me to her side with an arm around my back. "Listen, we'll have a nice meal, get you settled and do something that doesn't take much thinking."

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

"A movie."

"Not a romantic comedy. Please."

"I don't know what that is, but I do know good movies. We'll get you sorted. Not to worry. As long as you're happy, I'm happy. And if you need it, I still have my shotgun. Of course, we could just call Jason…"

"Jason! Goodness, I forgot about him. I caught a cab because I didn't want to have to explain this mess. I'll talk to him though. He doesn't need to know all the sordid details. It's not his business."

"You know he'll make it his business if you're in pain. Besides, he's your big brother and he takes his duty seriously."

Gran winks and leaves me to unpack with a reassuring pat on the back. I do so absentmindedly, not knowing where I put anything once I'm finished. I take a long shower to wash off the grime of air travel and exhaustion. And so I can have a good cry where no one can see or hear. Once I've dried my tears, and my body, I resolve to handle this like an adult. Even if I don't know how to begin to do that.

After a long nap, I head out into the kitchen to grab another glass of tea before movie time with Gran. I hear my phone ringing and rush back to my room to get it, finding it hidden under a pile of dirty clothes. I have a nice conversation with Eric (and another bout of tears), which leaves me doubting myself, yet again. I gulp down more tea, desperate for brain freeze. Anything would be better than thinking.

After Eric's call to let me know he was okay, I dread the next time I'll get another call. Not two seconds after I think that, my phone rings. Only it isn't Eric. It's Alcide. Should I answer? If it's important, he'll leave a message. Right? I sigh, take another deep breath and hit the green button.

"Hello?"

"Stay the fuck away from my boyfriend, bitch!" says a shrilly female voice. Not Alcide's.

_Click._

Okay, would someone like to tell me what just happened?


End file.
